In January, as snow was falling in the streets and icy winds howled through the concrete and glass canyons of Manhattan, Christie’s showroom was filled with the warmth of the American West—deserts, cacti, cowboys and cattle—as it offered timeless images of the Old West from the William I. Koch Collection. After the dust settled, the juggernaut sale had broken numerous records, including several that may remain unbeaten for decades.

Frederic Remington (1861-1909), Coming to the Call, ca. 1905. Oil on canvas, 27 x 40 in. Estimate: $6/8 million SOLD: $13,285,000

 

After two sessions over two days, Christie’s racked up a staggering $84.1 million in sales, nearly tripling the previous auction record for Western material. The first session, held in one of Christie’s prestigious evening slots, was its own record at $69.4 million. Not only did the sale feature two new Frederic Remington world records four lots apart, it also broke world records for Charles M. Russell, Alfred Jacob Miller, Cyrus Dallin and David Mann, one of the only living artists represented in the sale. 

Bidders in the room included top dealers, collectors and private curators, in addition to the mysterious voices on the phones who were raising bids by increments of $250,000 or more toward the end of key lots. 

Charles M. Russell (1864-1926), Dust, 1925. Oil on canvas, 24 x 36 in. Estimate: $5/7 million SOLD: $5,809,000

 

“This is a historic moment,” says Tylee Abbott, the head of the American art department at Christie’s. “Mr. Koch brought together masterpieces that define the category, and the market response was beyond enthusiastic. What we saw these past two days is Western art commanding the art world, centerstage. This is the sale of the century and the highlight of my career.”

Koch was not at the sale, but released a statement afterward. “Though I will miss these works, it gives me great pleasure knowing others will enjoy them as much as I have long into the future,” he wrote. “Thank you to both Christie’s and my team for making this sale a fantastic success.”

Frederic Remington (1861-1909), Argument with the Town Marshall, ca. 1905. Oil on canvas, 27 x 40 in. Estimate: $4/6 million SOLD: $11,847,500

 

Besides Koch, the star of the auction was Remington, who was represented by both paintings and bronzes. The top lot was Coming to the Call, the famous hunting scene with a moose. The 1905 painting had a high estimate of $8 million. Slow and steady bidding pushed it to $13.2 million. Just four lots before, Remington’s An Argument with the Town Marshall sold for $11.8 million, nearly double its high estimate of $6 million. Both broke world records for the artist. Other Remington pieces included bronzes Coming Through the Rye, The Broncho Buster and The Horse Thief. By the end of the sale, Christie’s had seven of the top 10 Remington records, with four of them coming from the Koch Collection. 

Other records included Russell’s Dust (est. $5/7 million) that sold for $5.8 million, Alfred Jacob Miller’s The Buffalo Hunt (est. $2/3 million) that sold for $4.7 million and Cyrus Dallin’s bronze Appeal to the Great Spirit (est. $120/180,000) that sold for $571,000. All three were new world records for the artists. 

Frederic Remington (1861-1909), The Broncho Buster, modeled in 1895, cast by 1898. Bronze, 23¾ in. Estimate: $250/350,000 SOLD: $698,500

 

The January sale, which missed a historic polar vortex by several days, overlapped with Americana Week in New York City, with American art shows and sales happening at many galleries, venues and auction houses. As dealers and collectors mingled at these events, two words were suddenly on everyone’s lips: “Western art.” —

Top 10 Lots
Christie’s Koch Collection Sale, January 20-21, 2026 (including buyer’s premiums)
Artist    Title    Low/High Est.     SOLD
Frederic Remington    Coming to the Call    $6/8 million    $13,285,000
Frederic Remington    An Argument with the Town Marshall    $4/6 million    $11,847,500
Frederic Remington    Coming Through the Rye    $4/6 million    $9,950,000
Charles M. Russell    Dust    $5/7 million    $5,809,000
Frederic Remington    The Trooper    $5/7 million    $4,955,000
Alfred Jacob Miller    The Buffalo Hunt    $2/3 million    $4,711,000
Charles M. Russell    The Whoop-Up Trail    $1.2/1.8 million    $3,247,000
Frederic Remington    The Horse Thief    $3/5 million    $3,125,000
N.C. Wyeth    Wild Bill Hickock at the Cards    $1/1.5 million    $2,210,000
Charles M. Russell    Smoking Them Out    $1/1.5 million    $1,651,000

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