Six paintings owned by the late Elaine Wynn sold at Christie’s for a total of $70,335,000 this week, just short of the $75 million estimate set by the New York auction house.
The highest price fetched for an offering from “Elaine: The Collection of Elaine Wynn” was $17,655,000 for Richard Diebenkorn’s “Ocean Park #40,” an oil and charcoal on canvas painted by the artist in 1971 and kept at Wynn’s LA residence. It had been estimated to sell for $15-$25 million.
This was followed in price by Joan Mitchell’s “Sunflower V” oil on canvas, painted in 1969 and reportedly acquired by Wynn in 2005 for $1.5 million. It sold for over $16.7 million to dealer Jonathan Boos.
“The Painter Surprised by a Naked Admirer,” a late-career oil on canvas by Lucian Freud painted in 2004-2005, came in third at $14,435,000, just below its low estimate of $15 million.
Here’s how all six paintings fared:
| Artist | Title & Year | Sale Date | Price w/ Premium | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Richard Diebenkorn | “Ocean Park #40” (1971, oil & charcoal on canvas) | Nov 17, 2025 | 17,655,000 | Estimate $15–25M; from her LA residence. |
| 2. Joan Mitchell | “Sunflower V” (1969, oil on canvas) | Nov 17, 2025 | $16,735,000 | Verified: acquired by Wynn in 2005 for $1.5M; sold to dealer Jonathan Boos. |
| 3. Lucian Freud | “The Painter Surprised by a Naked Admirer” (2004–05, oil on canvas) | Nov 18, 2025 | $14,435,000 | Estimate $15–25M |
| 4. J.M.W. Turner | “Ehrenbreitstein” (1835, oil on canvas) | Nov 17, 2025 | $11,905,000 | Estimate $12–18M |
| 5. Fernand Léger | “Les Confidences” (1931, oil on canvas) | Nov 17, 2025 | $5,687,000 | Estimate $6–8M |
| 6. Wayne Thiebaud | “River Stretch” (1995, oil on canvas) | Nov 17, 2025 | $3,918,000 | Estimate $3–5M |
Wynn died of heart failure at age 82 on April 14, 2025, following a short illness.
Her death deprived the Las Vegas Art Museum, scheduled to open in downtown Las Vegas in 2028, of its driving force and founding visionary.
“My mother was a visceral collector who just happened to gravitate toward art that would become, if not already, objectively substantial,” Wynn’s daughter, Gillian Wynn, said in an essay published in the Christie’s catalog. “In this manner, she amassed a collection that was both deeply personal and admirably legit.”
The works of 19th-to-21th century art were offered during sales from November 17-20 in what a Christie’s press release called “a packed, energetic saleroom” at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan.
One major work from Wynn’s collection, Francis Bacon’s “Three Studies of Lucian Freud” (1969) — acquired by Wynn for $142.4 million at Christie’s in 2013 — was not auctioned but donated to LACMA.
Though not confirmed, proceeds from the auction will likely go to Wynn’s estate. As Casino.org’s Devin O’Connor reported in June, the estate is valued at $2 billion. The executors are her daughters, Gillian and Kevyn, Andrew Pascal, her nephew, and businessman Bobby Kotick.
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