Christie’s will auction the collection of Danish collector Ole Faarup during its October 2025 marquee week sales in London. The group of around 140 works, assembled over five decades, carries an overall estimate of £16 million–£22 million ($21 million–$29 million). Proceeds from the auction will benefit the Ole Faarup Art Foundation, which supports emerging artists and institutions in Denmark and abroad.
The sales will unfold across Christie’s 20th/21st century evening and day auctions on October 15th and 16th, along with an online auction from October 8th to 21st.
Faarup, who died at 90 last March, began acquiring art in the 1960s. He became known for buying early in artists’ careers and creating a collection reflecting the evolving contemporary scene. “His collection stands out not only for its internationally significant works, but also for the rare and sincere passion it reflects for discovering and championing emerging talent,” said Peter van der Graaf, a consultant and international specialist at Christie’s.
Artists featured in the collection include Peter Doig, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Chris Ofili. This includes Ofili’s Blossom (1997), which was created a year after he became the first Black artist to win the Turner Prize. Appearing at auction for the first time, the work carries an estimate of £1 million–£1.5 million ($1.35 million–$2.02 million).
The leading lot of the collection is Doig’s Country Rock (1998–99), estimated at £7 million–£10 million ($9.46 million–$13.52 million). The monumental painting depicting Toronto’s rainbow tunnel was featured on the catalogue cover for Doig’s 2008 Tate retrospective. Another significant Doig canvas, Ski Jacket (1994), estimated at £6 million–£8 million ($8.11 million–$10.86 million), is also included; it reimagines a newspaper image of a Japanese ski resort in the artist’s prismatic, dreamlike style.
Basquiat’s Untitled (1982), estimated at £300,000–£500,000 ($405,000–$676,000), is another standout work of the collection. The oilstick drawing, created during the year of Basquiat’s breakthrough exhibitions, depicts two totemic figures in bold color. Other works for sale include pieces by Asger Jorn, Per Kirkeby, Karin Mamma Andersson, and members of the YBA generation such as Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst.
Pieces from Faarup’s collection will be on view at the new art museum Kunsthal n, in Copenhagen, from August 16th to 19th TK. This September, selections from the collection will also be showcased at Christie’s in Hong Kong and New York, as well as at Christie’s King Street location in London during the upcoming marquee week, which opens on October 8th.
“His generosity ensures that his passion for art will not only be remembered but will continue to inspire and support generations of artists to come,” Katherine Arnold, a vice chairman at Christie’s, said in a statement. “This sale brings his vision to life, offering the world a glimpse into a collection defined by curiosity, care, and an unshakeable belief in the power of creativity.”
