“The collection of William S. Paley is among the greatest historic American collections: in his collecting, and in his contributions to MoMA, Paley helped to redefine the face of Modern Art. That a single collector could have the daring to acquire the very best examples of such profoundly radical artists from Picasso to Bacon speaks to Paley's visionary taste and relentless pursuit of the avant-garde. Paley's acquisitions in the 1960s capture the groundbreaking artistic spirit of the post-war era - from Francis Bacon's astonishing "Three Studies for Portrait of Henrietta Moraes", which marks one of the greatest triumphs of the artist’s career, to canonical examples of post-war American color field painting by Morris Louis, Kenneth Noland, and Josef Albers.” David Galperin, Sotheby’s Head of Contemporary Art, Americas

“Art’s unique power to communicate underpinned William S. Paley’s passion for collecting. He created an extraordinary private world, with works intimate in both format and character, scaled for personal enjoyment and contemplation. These consummate examples by pioneers of Modernism, from Renoir to Bonnard to Picasso, reflect the bold innovative thinking that always characterized Paley’s ambitions. Acquired between the 1930s and 1960s, his treasures are now to be offered on the market for the first time in over half a century.”

Simon Shaw, Vice Chairman, Global Fine Arts, Sotheby’s INSIDE THE COLLECTION OF WILLIAM S. PALEY

“Don't buy it unless you can't live without it." William S. Paley