For nearly 50 years, Cindy and Jay Pritzker’s private home in Chicago quietly held some of the world’s most remarkable works of art. This fall, Sotheby’s will unveil the full scope of their collection, offering the public an unprecedented look at masterpieces spanning painting, sculpture, historical artifacts, and rare manuscripts.
The collection will first tour internationally, visiting Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, London, and Paris, before arriving in New York at the historic Breuer Building, recently renovated by 2001 Pritzker Prize recipients Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. The unveiling coincides with Sotheby’s inaugural exhibition and auction at the venue, with the Modern Evening Auction highlighting pivotal works and the Modern Day Auction presenting additional masterworks by Le Corbusier, Georges Braque, Fernando Botero, Alexander Calder, and more. Subsequent sales will include Books and Manuscripts, Sculpture and Works of Art, and Chinese Works of Art.
Cindy and Jay Pritzker’s collection reflects both their personal vision and a deep commitment to civic life. Cindy’s leadership in realizing Chicago’s Harold Washington Library Center and Millennium Park, including commissioning Frank Gehry to design the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, reshaped the city’s cultural landscape. Jay’s entrepreneurial achievements, from building the Hyatt Hotels empire to investing in Braniff Airlines, McCall’s Magazine, and Ticketmaster, cemented his reputation as a visionary business leader. Together, they also created the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1979, now considered the highest honor in architecture.
The collection’s paintings include Vincent van Gogh’s Romans Parisiens (Les Livres jaunes) (1887), a still life of books reflecting both the artist’s and Cindy’s passion for literature. Helena Newman of Sotheby’s described it as “among the most intellectually and emotionally revealing of van Gogh’s still lifes, encapsulating his passions for literature, for color, and for the restless pursuit of new ideas.” Other key works include Henri Matisse’s triptych Léda et le cygne (1944–46), Paul Gauguin’s La Maison de Pen du, gardeuse de vache (1889), Max Beckmann’s Der Wels (Catfish) (1929), Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Hallesches Tor, Berlin (1913), Joan Miró’s monumental bronze La Mère Ubu (1975), and Camille Pissarro’s Bords de l’Oise à Pontoise (1872).
Beyond paintings and sculpture, the Pritzkers collected objects of historical and cultural significance. These include a 1447 portolan chart of the Mediterranean and Black Seas by Petrus Roselli, a Tang dynasty dappled dark-brown glazed pottery horse from the early 8th century, and a Tournai millefleur tapestry dating from circa 1500–10. Each object highlights the couple’s dedication to exceptional quality, rare significance, and artistic diversity.
Charles F. Stewart, CEO of Sotheby’s, said, “Few people have shaped Chicago’s cultural life quite as profoundly as Jay and Cindy Pritzker. Their names have become part of the city’s own story—spoken of in connection with its great institutions, its most recognizable landmarks, and its enduring spirit of generosity.” Jay’s nephew, JB Pritzker, is the current governor of Illinois.
The exhibition at the Breuer Building in November 2025 will mark the first public presentation of the full collection, offering a rare opportunity to experience the breadth of the Pritzkers’ vision. From van Gogh’s intimate still life artworks to monumental sculptures and rare historical objects, the collection demonstrates how personal passion, combined with a commitment to public life, can leave a lasting cultural impact. It is a reminder that collecting, when guided by curiosity and purpose, becomes more than ownership, it becomes a legacy. The collection will be auctioned in November 2025.
