Major Belgian art collection to be auctioned by Christie’s

A private Belgian art collection spanning almost 150 years is to go on sale at three dedicated auctions in London from 25 February to 12 March, Christie’s has announced.

Modern Visionaries - The Roger and Josette Vanthournout Collection, which is estimated to be worth around €50 million, is the highlight of the London 20/21 March Marquee Week.

The collection was carefully assembled over six decades by the late couple who lived in Izegem in West Flanders.

From Symbolism, Belgian Expressionism and Surrealism through to the Post-War avant-garde, Minimalism and Modern and Contemporary British art, “it traces a dynamic and diverse story of modern art across continents,” says the auction house, which has a Brussels office in Avenue Louise.

Roger, who trained in design and decoration, later founded a successful furniture manufacturing business, while Josette was a painter who possessed a refined sense of colour and composition. The couple exemplified Belgium's tradition for collecting art with an outward-looking eye, according to Christies.

From the mid-1950s onwards, the Vanthournouts travelled widely, engaging directly with artists, dealers and galleries as they confidently purchased pieces of art. Works by Pablo Picasso, René Magritte, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Lynn Chadwick, Henry Moore, Yayoi Kusama, Gustave De Smet and Panamarenko feature in the collection.

The couple’s home in Flanders was transformed into an exhibition space where sculpture played a central role, surrounded by paintings, works on paper and photography.

A first auction of pieces from the collection took place in 2005 after Roger’s death. It included notably a work by Francis Bacon that sold for $15 million. This second auction follows the passing of Josette in 2025.

“Rooted in Belgium’s long tradition as a cultural crossroads, their outward-looking approach - shaped by travel and enduring curiosity - resulted in a collection encompassing more than 100 artists,” says Olivier Camu, Christie’s deputy chairman, Impressionist and Modern Art, of the art collectors. “The Collection stands as a testament to their connoisseurship and instinctive eye,” he adds.

Photos: ©Christie’s