The Most Valuable Western American Art Auction in History

‘Visions of the West: The William I. Koch Collection’ will be on auction through Christie’s on Jan. 20.

"Dust," 1925, by Charles Marion Russell. The painting is estimated to sell between $5 to $7 million through Christie’s “Visions of the West: The William I. Koch Collection” auction. Christie’s

The new year 2026 is off to a bang: Christie’s New York is set to auction the most valuable collection of Western American Art. “Visions of the West: The William I. Koch Collection” features acclaimed rare paintings, sculptures, and works on paper that present a rich visual history of the American West. The artworks, spanning more than a century, will be presented in an Evening Sale and a Day Sale (the latter is aptly titled a High Noon Sale). Estimated in the range of $50 million, the works will be on view to the public from Jan. 16 to 20.

Highlights among the 76 lots are multiple masterpieces by Frederic Remington (1861–1909) and Charles Marion Russell (1864–1926). These two beloved artists were the architects of the quintessential images of the American West that are etched indelibly in public consciousness. Their cinematic use of color, light, and composition in narrative works inspired Hollywood productions during the Silent Era, Golden Age, and beyond, including our current century.

Remington’s Untamed West

Remington was born in upstate New York and educated at Yale. He was fascinated by the frontier and made 16 trips out West as well as into Mexico and Canada. As an artist-correspondent on these sketching sojourns, he observed soldiers and cowboys and went on to incorporate accurate details into his finished works. Remington’s artistic career began as a professional illustrator for magazines. Later, he became a renowned painter and sculptor. The images Remington created were consumed by fellow Easterners and shaped their vision of a mysterious and exciting West.