A courtyard painting by Vilhelm Hammershøi, a highlight of the John L. Loeb Jr. Danish art collection heading to auction at Phillips in 2026. Image: Phillips

Phillips brings the John L. Loeb Jr. Danish art collection to auction in 2026, a landmark sale expected to top $12 million.

BY KAZEEM ADELEKE, ARTCENTRON

Landmark Diplomatic-Era Collection to Anchor London and New York Sales

LONDON / NEW YORK — Phillips will bring the John L. Loeb Jr. Danish art collection to auction in spring 2026, offering nearly 150 works assembled during the former U.S. ambassador’s Cold War posting in Copenhagen and positioning the sale as a major test of global demand for Scandinavian art.

The auction house confirmed the collection will headline its Modern & Contemporary Art sales in London and New York. Phillips expects total results to exceed $12 million, driven by rare works that have remained largely inaccessible to the open market for decades.

Built during Loeb’s tenure as U.S. ambassador to Denmark in the early 1980s, the collection is widely considered the most important private holding of Danish art outside museum ownership.

Why the John L. Loeb Jr. Danish Art Collection Auction Matters

The sale arrives as Scandinavian art gains renewed institutional and collector attention, fueled by major museum exhibitions and shifting tastes toward quieter, introspective works.

Phillips is positioning the auction as both a market event and a cultural moment. The collection’s scope spans Denmark’s Golden Age through early Modernism, offering depth rarely seen in a single-owner sale.

Specialists say the auction could recalibrate international pricing for Danish masters long overshadowed by French and German counterparts.

Hammershøi Masterworks Lead the Sale

The collection is led by major paintings by Vilhelm Hammershøi, including a courtyard scene painted at Strandgade in Copenhagen. The work depicts a solitary figure framed by architecture, blending domestic calm with radical simplicity.

Additional interiors, landscapes, and portraits by Hammershøi will also be offered. Together, they form one of the most substantial private groupings of the artist’s work to appear at auction in recent history.

Phillips previously featured the courtyard painting in a curated exhibition exploring links between Hammershøi and American Minimalism.

Women Artists Feature Prominently

The John L. Loeb Jr. Danish art collection distinguishes itself through its strong representation of women artists from the Modern Breakthrough period.

Works by Bertha Wegmann and Anna Ancher anchor this section of the sale. Their paintings explore domestic life and social intimacy while demonstrating technical confidence and mastery of Scandinavian light.

Market analysts note growing demand for historic works by women artists, a trend that could elevate results for these lots.

Rare Krøyer Self-Portrait to Cross the Block

Among the most significant individual works is a self-portrait by P. S. Krøyer, painted on Skagen Beach. Only four such self-portraits exist.

The remaining three are held by major European museums, making this painting the sole example still in private hands and one of the rarest Danish paintings expected to appear at auction in years.

Global Tour Begins in Copenhagen

Ahead of the London and New York auctions, Phillips will unveil selected works in Copenhagen on January 28 at the Erichsen Mansion. The exhibition will be available by appointment and will launch an international tour through Gstaad, St. Moritz, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.

The tour reflects the auction house’s effort to broaden international exposure and attract cross-regional bidding.

From Diplomacy to the Marketplace

Loeb assembled the collection while serving as ambassador during a period of heightened geopolitical tension, using art as a means of cultural immersion and exchange.

Its arrival on the auction market raises broader questions about cultural stewardship, private collecting, and the role of diplomacy in shaping art history beyond politics.

Phillips said it views the sale as both a commercial milestone and a contribution to the evolving global conversation around Danish art.