Barnes & Noble Founder's Art Collection Heads to Auction: Christie's to Offer $250M+ Trove of 20th-Century Masterpieces

Christie's will auction the impressive art collection of Louise Riggio, widow of Barnes & Noble's Leonard Riggio. The "anthology of 20th-century masterpieces," valued at over $250 million, includes more than 30 artworks. The decision to sell comes after Leonard's passing in 2024, with Louise preferring to share the art rather than store it.

The collection features a rare Piet Mondrian painting, Composition with Large Red Plane, Bluish Gray, Yellow, Black and Blue (1922), and René Magritte's L'empire des lumières. Also included are works by Picasso, Giacometti, and Warhol. The Riggios amassed the collection over three decades, also supporting the Dia Art Foundation and public education.

Before the New York auction, the collection will tour globally, with stops in London, Hong Kong, Paris, Dubai, and Los Angeles. Leonard Riggio was known for his presence at significant art auctions, including Christie's record-breaking $852.9 million sale in 2014.