Some of the most iconic artworks capturing the essence of the American West are set to go under the hammer at Christie’s auction house. This collection, owned by billionaire Bill Koch, is anticipated to bring in at least $50 million.

The auction, titled “Visions of the West,” will be conducted in person in New York across two sessions, starting on January 20. The event will culminate with the final items being auctioned at noon the following day, a nod to the traditional Western showdown. The collection boasts significant pieces by artists such as Frederic Remington, Charles Marion Russell, and Albert Bierstadt. These artists are renowned for their evocative portrayals of cowboys, Native Americans, and expansive landscapes, which have shaped the popular image of the American frontier.

Tylee Abbott, who leads Christie’s American Art Department, noted that there is a sustained interest in Western themes as new audiences continue to explore the culture and mythology associated with the region.

“What lies out West? What awaits beyond the horizon?” he pondered, adding, “It’s a representation of the American spirit.”

Bill Koch, whose brothers David and Charles were prominent supporters of conservative causes, has carved his own path since a business disagreement with them in the 1980s. He attributes his lifelong passion for Western art to their shared childhood experiences.

The auction will include 16 sculptures by Remington, along with his painting “Coming to the Call,” which is expected to sell for $6 million to $8 million, according to Christie’s. There will also be both a small and large version of Remington’s “Bronco Buster” bronze sculpture. Russell’s “The Sun Worshippers” is projected to sell for $4 million to $6 million. Bierstadt’s bright vistas of mountains and plains are also among the featured works.

Michael Clawson, executive editor of Western Art Collector magazine, said the esthetics of the region continue to surprise people who see them for the first time.

“When you come here, there is something about the light, the atmosphere, the colors,” said Clawson, who grew up in Phoenix. He said the Western art genre has existed since the early 1800s and remains vibrant today, as younger collectors discover the genre and new artists keep it alive.

And in the current century, population and wealth have surged across several Western states, with Arizona, Utah and Nevada each gaining well over a million residents since 2000. In the last decade, the median household income in the West rose from $58,000 in 2014 to almost $93,000 in 2024, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

The sale at Christie’s could attract collectors from across the nation, and the scale of the auction likely makes it one of the most significant Western art offerings in years. Christie’s has not said why Koch is selling, with the billionaire telling the AP simply, “It is time to pass along these pieces.”

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