Sotheby's De Gunzburg Design Sale Fetches $96m, Smashing Lalanne's Record

On April 22, 2026, Sotheby's New York, housed in the Breuer building, hosted the auction of The Collection of Jean & Terry de Gunzburg – Design Masters. The sale achieved a total of $96 million, marking a significant event in the decorative arts market. The auction established new benchmarks for design works, notably for a Lalanne mirror ensemble.

The Claude Lalanne-designed mirrors were commissioned by Yves Saint Laurent and his partner, Pierre Bergé, for the music room of the couple’s Paris apartment. Terry de Gunzburg, who worked with the designer, acquired them at the Saint Laurent and Bergé sale in 2009.

The curated selection featured prominent 20th-century design figures. Key pieces included works by Claude Lalanne and François-Xavier Lalanne, whose creations often draw considerable market attention. Other artists represented in the sale included Jean Royère, Jean Dunand, André Groult, Jean-Michel Frank, Paul Dupré-Lafon, Armand-Albert Rateau, Marc du Plantier, Pierre Delbée, and Alexandre Noll.

In the auction houses marquee sales in May works of modern art from the De Gunzburgs' collection are due to include Mark Rothko, Lucio Fontana, Alexander Calder, Agnes Martin, Robert Ryman, Pablo Picasso, and Paul Klee.