May is the biggest auction season of the year. It opens with a huge set of sales at Christie’s. In this podcast, we’ll speak with Christie’s Chairman, Marc Porter, about the brother and sister collectors Thomas and Doris Ammann. Johanna Flaum, head of the Contemporary department, tells us about Warhol’s Marilyn, the rare large Flowers painting, and a work by Francesco Clemente. Max Carter, Head of Christie’s Impressionist and Modern department, talks about an early cubist Picasso bronze being deaccessioned by the Metropolitan Museum before going into detail on the extraordinary collection of Anne Bass. Vancessa Fusco tells us about a $45 million Van Gogh landscape and two more Monets coming to market. Emily Kaplan details the Jackson Pollock drip painting Christie’s has on offer. Then she tells us about the many women artists whose work is included in the evening sale, especially a major work by Howardena Pindell who has seen million-dollar sales on the private market but little in the way of large prices in public auctions. Finally, Ana Maria Celis walks us through an important Basquiat triptych, the return of a major Richter abstract that could reset that market and a work by sought-after artist Maria Berrio. Christie’s sales begin on May 9th at 7pm in New York. Sales continue on May 10th, 12th, 13th and 14th.