![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-view-of-Pauline-Karpidas-Salon-London-Home.jpg\")
Pauline Karpidas has built a deeply personal collection that fused Surrealism, contemporary art and bold design into an immersive aesthetic world. Alex Winship<\/p>\n\t\tPauline Karpidas has built a deeply personal collection that fused Surrealism, contemporary art and bold design into an immersive aesthetic world. Alex Winship<\/p>\n
A highlight of the upcoming sale is Ren\u00e9 Magritte\u2019s La Statue volante, estimated at \u00a39-12 million. Described by Sotheby\u2019s as a \u201cjewel of late Surrealism,\u201d the painting is a masterclass in encrypted symbolism and mystery, with a distinguished provenance\u2014it was acquired by Alexander Iolas<\/a> directly from the artist. Before entering Karpidas\u2019 collection in 1985, the work appeared in two landmark exhibitions that helped cement Magritte\u2019s international reputation: first at Iolas\u2019s New York gallery in 1959 and then in Magritte\u2019s first U.S. museum retrospective at the Dallas Museum of Art in 1960.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most haunting and significant paintings of his late career, rich in Surrealist iconography and philosophical depth,\u201d says Barker. Remarkably, the evening auction on September 17<\/a> includes seven works by Magritte at a moment when his market is at an all-time high. According to Artnet\u2019s annual rankings, Magritte brought in $312.3 million across 119 lots in 2024, a steep rise from $192.7 million and 134 lots in 2023. That surge was fueled in part by a new auction record set in 2024, when L\u2019empire des lumi\u00e8res (1954) sold at Christie\u2019s New York for $121.16 million<\/a> (with fees)\u2014the highest price ever for a Surrealist work at auction. \u201cNo small feat, and testament to Pauline\u2019s remarkable eye,\u201d Barker notes.<\/p>\n Other Magritte works in the sale include Untitled (Le Sens propre) from 1927\u2014previously owned by prominent Surrealist patrons E.L.T. Mesens<\/a> and Harold Diamond<\/a>\u2014estimated at \u00a3700,000-1,000,000; a haunting bronze chaise longue-coffin titled Madame R\u00e9camier de David (\u00a3500,000-700,000); and the elegant Les Menottes de cuivre, estimated at \u00a3300,000-500,000. Also included are the vibrant blue sculpture T\u00eate (\u00a3300,000-500,000), which was acquired at Sotheby\u2019s from the sale of the artist\u2019s widow\u2019s estate and long displayed on Pauline\u2019s eclectic bookshelf, a striking gouache and the whimsical golden sculpture La Race blanche, with \u00a31,000,000-1,500,000 and \u00a3250,000-350,000 estimates, respectively.<\/p>\n Beyond Magritte, Karpidas\u2019 collection dives deep into the Surrealist psyche, with standout works by Yves Tanguy<\/a>, Giorgio De Chirico<\/a>, Francis Picabia<\/a>, Victor Brauner<\/a>, Dorothea Tanning<\/a> and Hans Bellmer<\/a>, among others. A delicate drawing, Portrait de Gala Galarina by Salvador Dal\u00ed, has an estimate of \u00a3350,000-450,000, while another work, Messager dans un paysage Palladien, presents a cryptic figure within a Palladian dreamscape\u2014its swirling, irregular canvas evoking a surreal dialogue with art history\u2014estimated at \u00a3200,000-300,000.<\/p>\n \u201cSurrealism caught Pauline\u2019s attention early on,\u201d says Barker, \u201cnot just as an art movement, but as a way of seeing the world differently.\u201d The collection as a whole pulses with the tension between beauty and drama, vulnerability and epic fierceness.<\/p>\n When Iolas first introduced Karpidas to Surrealist art while she was living in Athens, he transformed the way she approached collecting, according to Barker. \u201cWith her sharp eye, she was never afraid to trust her instincts,\u201d he adds. \u201cSurrealism appealed to her because it could surprise, unsettle and captivate all at once. Its wit, mystery and psychological depth resonated with her on a profound level.\u201d<\/p>\n Jeff Koons<\/a>\u2019s Poodle, estimated at \u00a31,000,000-1,500,000, adds a touch of glamour and a bit of kitsch. The sculpture once stood guard in Karpidas\u2019 entrance hall, stationed beneath a Lalanne console. Karpidas met Koons in the 1980s at the beginning of his career and became an early supporter as he ascended to global stardom.<\/p>\n What sets Pauline Karpidas<\/a> apart is the depth of engagement behind every acquisition, says Barker. \u201cThere\u2019s a strong sense of curiosity and confidence in everything she chooses, and she\u2019s always sought to understand each artist, fully immersing herself in their ideas and collecting with care and conviction.\u201d Because of those deep relationships, the provenance of many of her works is exceptional\u2014several of her Surrealist pieces once belonged to the movement\u2019s founding figures, including Andr\u00e9 Breton, Roland Penrose<\/a> and Paul \u00c9luard.<\/p>\n While Surrealism is a central thread of the collection, Karpidas has never limited herself to a single movement or medium. \u201cShe collected in depth across both fine art and design, bringing these two worlds together with boldness and imagination,\u201d says Barker. In addition to artworks, she also assembled an extraordinary trove of design pieces by some of the most pioneering figures of her time.<\/p>\n Also going to auction is Karpidas\u2019 trove of sixty works by Les Lalanne\u2014many of them never-before-seen commissions made specifically for her and some gifted directly by the artists themselves. Barker points to Claude Lalanne<\/a>\u2019s Unique Choupette, described as \u201can icon in its own right,\u201d with an estimate of \u00a3300,000-400,000. Other highlights include her rare crocodile stools, never before seen on the market (\u00a3180,000-250,000), a lyrical Unique Structure V\u00e9g\u00e9tale mirror and wall light (\u00a3350,000-450,000) and an ornate flower-motif bed with Karpidas\u2019 beloved owl symbol (\u00a3200,000-300,000).<\/p>\n Karpidas\u2019 connection to Les Lalanne ran deep\u2014she was a passionate early supporter, visiting their Paris workshop long before their work achieved global fame, and the French duo\u2019s creations became essential to the immersive, surreal environments Karpidas built in her homes.<\/p>\n![\"Ren\u00e9](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Lot-19-Rene-Magritte-La-Statue-volante-est-9-12-million.jpg\")
Lot 19 \u2013 Rene\u0301 Magritte, La Statue volante; estimate: \u00a39-12 million. Courtesy of Sotheby’s<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Lot-31-Leonora-Carrington-The-Hour-of-Angelus-est.-600000-800000.jpg\")
Lot 31 \u2013 Leonora Carrington, The Hour of Angelus; estimate: \u00a3600,000-800,000. Courtesy of Sotheby’s<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Lot-27-Andy-Warhol-Madonna-and-Self-Portrait-with-Skeletons-Arm-After-Munch-est.-1.5-2-million-1.jpg\")
Lot 27 \u2013 Andy Warhol, Madonna and Self-Portrait with Skeleton\u2019s Arm (After Munch); estimate: \u00a31.5-2 million. Courtesy of Sotheby’s<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-view-of-Pauline-Karpidas-Salon-London-Home-2.jpg\")
Sotheby\u2019s will recreate the spirit of Karpidas\u2019 world with an immersive exhibition at its Mayfair galleries ahead of the landmark September auctions. Photo: Alex Winship | Courtesy of Sotheby’s<\/p>\n![\"Claude](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Lot-36-Claude-Lalanne-Unique-Structure-Vegetale-Bed-est.-200000-300000.jpg\")
Lot 36 \u2013 Claude Lalanne, Unique Structure Ve\u0301ge\u0301tale Bed; estimate: \u00a3200,000-300,000. Courtesy of Sotheby’s<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/A-detail-of-Pauline-Karpidas-drawing-room-bookcase-a-unique-creation-by-Mattia-Bonetti.jpg\")
Design plays a central role in Karpidas\u2019 homes. Barney Hindle