The Wild West heads east for a showdown in New York

William I. Koch's historically valuable $50M Western art collection, including works by Remington, is auctioned at Christie's, reflecting Koch's pursuit of authenticity.

Charles Marion Russel (1864-1926) - The Sun Worshippers from the Koch collection at Christie's.

High Noon at Christie's at the Rockefeller Center in New York next Wednesday (January 21) sees the most valuable collection of Western American art in history come under the hammer. The low estimate for the William I Koch's collection is $50 million (€42.9 million). This more than doubles the previous record for any Western American art auction.

Newell Convers Wyeth (1882-1945) - Wild Bill Hickok at the Cards from the Koch collection at Christie's.

Bill Koch, who won the America's Cup in 1992 with the yacht America3, feels the time has come to pass on this history to other collectors passionate about the American West. "I have been fortunate to collect things that resonate with me. The treasures in this sale are among my favourites," he said.

Visions of the West is split into two auctions, an evening sale next Tuesday, followed by High Noon on Wednesday. There are masterworks by Frederick Remington, Albert Bierstadt and Charles Marion Russell in a collection that is acclaimed around the world.

Frederick Remington (1861-1909) - Argument with the Town Marshall from the Koch collection at Christie's.

Remington's sunset painting Coming to the Call is estimated at $6 million - $8 million (€5.1 million - €6.8 million). Other titles of art by Remington like The Broncho Buster, Argument with the Town Marshall and Coming through the Rye, set the scene firmly in the wild west.

Another work of great interest is Wild Bill Hickok at the Cards by N C Wyeth, patriarch of the Wyeth family of artists. It shows American legends Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok in a card game gone wrong.

Alfred Jacob Miller's The Buffalo Hunt dates to around 1850 while G Harvey's Texas Oil Patch from 1981 focuses on the booming oil industry, the basis of much of the wealth of the billionaire businessman.

Albert Bierstadt (1830-1902) - Mountain Lake from the Koch collection at Christie's. All images courtesy Christie's Images Ltd., 2025.

The old adage caveat emptor (buyer beware) should never be far away from the mind of any collector, big or small. When it comes to Bill Koch it is a case of the seller beware. This keen collector of art and wine demands that it must be what it says on the tin. He has served several high-profile lawsuits against sellers, the most notable related to the sale of wine purported to have been owned by Thomas Jefferson. This case is reported to have been settled for $3 million (€2.58 million) in 2014.