Elinor Carucci, Untitled (Masks) (1996). Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

 

artnet News reported that billionaire art collector William Louis-Dreyfus is selling off his massive, 3,500-work collection piece by piece in order to donate the proceeds to the Harlem Children’s Zone, a non-profit organization.

The billionaire first heard about the charity a few years ago during an episode of 60 Minutes (see Billionaire William Louis-Dreyfus Gifts $50 Million Art Collection to Harlem Kids). The collection, which Louis-Dreyfus has spent the last 50 years assembling, is worth potentially up to $50 million.

The (literal) million dollar question is: what’s in it? Louis-Dreyfus is known for having championed Bill Traylor, a self-taught artist born into slavery by whom he owns over 100 works.

The recent documentary about the Louis-Dreyfus collection, Generosity of Eye, is quick to note that in addition to famous names like Wassily Kandinsky and Fernando Botero, it boasts a host of lesser-known and under-appreciated artists (see Julia Louis-Dreyfus Narrates New Documentary About Her Dad’s Art Collection).

It is surprising to find that unlike some high-profile collectors who prefer to keep the contents of their troves under wraps, every item in the Louis-Dreyfus collection is available online at the website of the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection. The collection leans heavily towards paintings and works on paper, but also includes sculpture and photography, ranging from the eighteenth and nineteenth century to the present day. Perhaps we’ll even see some of these pieces on the auction block soon—collectors, we urge you to keep your eyes peeled.

We’ve chosen 20 of our favorite works from the collection:

 

Jean Dubuffet, Loisirs (Two Figures in Landscape) (1962).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Thornton Dial, Traveling With the Tiger (Series of 3) (1994).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Red Grooms, Mondrian (1990).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Wassily Kandinsky, Nach Oben No. 207 (1925).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Horst Janssen, part of “Svanshall” series (1976).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Sandra Mendelsohn Rubin, Color (Orange) (2002-03).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Edouard Sacaillan, Hammam (1999-2000).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Bill Traylor, Construction with Exciting Event (1939-42).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Helen Frankenthaler, Red Shift (1990).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Catherine Murphy, From Behind (2009).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

George Boorujy, Rookery (2005).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Yves Tanguy, Composition “A Kalquie Son Ami” (1935).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Leonardo Cremonini, Smoking Chimneys (1957).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Elena Kolbasina, 132 Heads (2008-10).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

David Hockney, Aubergine (1970).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Hester Simpson, Stella Pucci (2006).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Isabel De Obaldia, Small Anteaters (2013).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Ron Mueck, Baby (2000).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Elinor Carucci, Untitled (Masks) (1996).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.

Alison Wilding, Body (1995).
Photo: Courtesy the Louis-Dreyfus Family Collection.