Whitney to Sell de Kooning's Yellow River at Christie's
The museum's deaccession of the 1958 painting goes to auction on November 17, 2026, with proceeds for future acquisitions.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Fine Art
The Whitney Museum of Art has deaccessioned Willem de Kooning's 1958 painting Yellow River and consigned it for sale at Christie's 20th-century evening auction on November 17, 2026. The painting is estimated to sell for $12 million to $18 million.
Why it matters
The sale is intended to support future acquisitions by the museum. The deaccession comes as the Whitney has previously removed works from its collection, including seven pieces in 2023 that it said were duplicative within the collection.
Christie's estimates Yellow River, a 1958 de Kooning, will sell for $12 million to $18 million at its November 17, 2026 auction. The Whitney deaccessioned seven works in 2023, and the final sale price will not be known until the auction closes.
The players
Whitney Museum of Art
The New York museum dedicated to American art, which deaccessioned the painting and consigned it for sale.
Christie's
The global auction house that will offer Yellow River at its 20th-century evening sale.
The details
The Whitney is putting the painting up for sale, and Christie's lot essay includes an anecdote that it once hung at the foot of the bed of its longtime owner, David M. Solinger. Solinger bought the work from the Sidney Janis Gallery in 1959, became a Whitney trustee in 1961, and his wife Betty Ann Besch Solinger gave it to the museum as a gift in 2023.
Timeline
1958: de Kooning paints Yellow River.
1959: David M. Solinger purchases the painting from Sidney Janis Gallery.
1961: Solinger becomes a Whitney trustee.
2023: The Whitney deaccessions seven works, and Betty Ann Besch Solinger gives Yellow River to the museum.
November 17, 2026: Yellow River is offered at Christie's 20th-century evening auction.
Industry Dynamics
The Whitney's sale of Yellow River follows its 2023 deaccession of seven works, including Edward Hopper's Cobb's Barns, South Truro (1930-33), which the museum said were duplicative within its collection. Museums selling works to fund acquisitions has become a recurring strategy for U.S. institutions managing their holdings.
Art enthusiasts and collectors can view Yellow River at Christie's before its November 17, 2026 auction, and bidding will determine who acquires the painting. The auction format gives the public a direct way to follow the sale's outcome.
The takeaway
A museum's deaccession can fund future purchases, so readers following the sale should watch the final price against the $12 million to $18 million estimate on November 17.
What happens next
Christie's will hold its 20th-century evening auction on November 17, 2026, where Yellow River is scheduled to be offered.
Further reading
For more on how museums and collectors handle major canvases, see Fine Art coverage.
