NEW YORK.- On November 16th, 2006, Sotheby’s is honored to present the single-owner sale of An American Visionary: The Collection of David Whitney. A renowned curator, art advisor and collector, and long-time partner to legendary architect Philip Johnson, Mr. Whitney was widely regarded by artists and collectors alike for his discerning eye, concentrated passion and powerful aesthetic. In his own personal collection he integrated works of 20th Century Design and Contemporary Art from the 1960s to the present with pieces of American Folk Art and Prints. The November sale of the collection will feature property from Mr. Whitney’s former residences, including his homes in New Canaan, Connecticut, Calluna Farms and Grainger House; his apartment in New York City; and his oceanview ranch house in Big Sur, California. Among the highlights of the sale are many fine examples of works by artists such as Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns, Frank Stella, Brice Marden, Willem de Kooning, Steve Wolfe, Julian Schnabel, David Salle and ceramic artists such as Andrew Lord and Ken Price, among others.

Property from the sale will be on exhibition in Sotheby’s galleries from November 11th to 15th, and the approximately 250 lots are estimated to bring from $3.5 to 5 million*. At the request of David Whitney, proceeds from the sale, consigned by The Estate of David Whitney, will benefit the National Trust for Historic Preservation to maintain the Glass House property and its collection in New Canaan, Connecticut.

Richard Moe, President of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, said: “The National Trust is deeply grateful for David Whitney’s generosity in helping to ensure a secure future for Philip Johnson's Glass House, one of the 20th century's greatest architectural treasures and the 47-acre site with all additional galleries and buildings. Furthermore, it will allow us to maintain and display the large-scale masterpieces which have been and will remain in the Painting and Sculpture Galleries. David's wishes to sell his personal collection will help make it possible for us to provide the exemplary stewardship that this extraordinary place needs and deserves.”

Elaine Whitmire, Head of Decorative Arts and Single-Owner Sales, commented: “Mr. Whitney’s exceptional taste is seen in his bold juxtaposition of texture, color and line. From the exhibitions he curated to the homes he lived in, Mr. Whitney found beauty in great works of art and in the simplest objects, and he had the instinct to integrate them seamlessly.”

Tobias Meyer, Worldwide Head of Contemporary Art, said: “David Whitney had a great eye. He had an extraordinarily sharp intellect and an incisive mind. David loved art and respected artists enormously, and he truly had an artist’s vision.”

Robert Looker, Vice President and specialist of Contemporary Art in New York, said: “Mr. Whitney’s unparalleled aesthetic is clearly seen in his collection and witnessed throughout his life by his close personal relationships with many artists such as Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Andrew Lord. The collection is both diverse in content and focused in quality.”

David Whitney grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts. He studied architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design and in 1960, while there, heard that Philip Johnson was giving a lecture at neighboring Brown University. Mr. Whitney met Mr. Johnson at the lecture and requested a tour of Johnson’s Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut. Shortly afterwards, the two formed a strong relationship. After graduating from college, and with Mr. Johnson’s encouragement, Mr. Whitney became a curator at The Museum of Modern Art, where he was recognized for his sharp and talented eye for exhibition design. Throughout the 1960s, Mr. Whitney began assisting artists and became known as a man who knew exactly how to “pull things together”, and the artists he befriended increasingly relied on his brilliance. He organized exhibitions of works by close friends Andy Warhol, Jasper Johns and Cy Twombly, among others, for the Whitney Museum of American Art (unrelated to Mr. Whitney’s family). Later, he celebrated younger artists such as David Salle, Michael Heizer and Eric Fischl for whom he organized mid-career retrospective exhibitions at the Whitney Museum. Mr. Whitney also ran his own contemporary art gallery, The David Whitney Gallery, in New York City, and sat on The Andy Warhol Authentication Committee and The Menil Collection Acquisition Committee for several years. In the 1980s Mr. Whitney purchased a house for himself across from the Glass House in New Canaan where he collected Contemporary Art, George Ohr pottery and painted furniture; and then in 2000, bought an oceanview ranch house in Big Sur, California. In recent years, Mr. Whitney was also consulted and relied upon by distinguished collectors who sought his advice before making acquisitions. In 2004, he curated “Willem de Kooning: A Centennial Exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in New York”, which was highly praised by critics and the public alike.