Sotheby’s to Sell ‘Hundreds’ of Works Owned by Chara Schreyer

Chara Schreyer, a prominent art collector, passed away in February at 75 after battling cancer. She was renowned for her dedication to philanthropy and passion for art, which led to the creation of the Schreyer Collection, one of the world's foremost collections of modern and contemporary art. The total value of the works to be sold by Sotheby's is around $70 million.

Originally from Bavaria, Schreyer immigrated to Los Angeles with her parents, who survived the Holocaust. She later moved to the Bay Area in 1965, pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in Art History from the University of California, Berkeley. She then began collecting American modernist painters like Georgia O'Keeffe, Joseph Stella, and Stuart Davis. She purchased pieces she responded to "on a personal, visceral level."

Schreyer was distinct from other art collectors in that she didn't store her art but instead integrated it into her living spaces, designing her home to showcase her art collection. She owned and lived with more than 600 works and built different homes and properties to ensure each piece had its own curatorial space. 

For more information see Abby Schultz “Sotheby’s to Sell ‘Hundreds’ of Works Owned by Chara Schreyer” Barrons PENTA, September 28, 2023.