Ted Turner family to auction landscape paintings for $20 million
Proceeds from the sale of 20 works by Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran will support the Turner Foundation.
The family of Ted Turner is preparing to auction approximately 20 landscape paintings from his Montana ranch, according to a Times of India report citing AP News. The collection, featuring works by 19th-century American painters Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran, is expected to fetch around $20 million.
The auction, titled 'Trailblazer: Ted Turner’s America', will be held by Christie’s in New York on 20 January 2027. The sale follows the death of Turner in May and marks the first time these specific works have been offered to the public.
Significant pieces in the collection include Bierstadt’s Yosemite Valley, painted in 1866, which is estimated to be worth between $4 million and $6 million. Other notable works include Thomas Moran’s The Inner Gorge, Grand Canyon, also estimated at $4 million to $6 million, and Bierstadt’s Buffalo at Sunset.
Turner’s son, Teddy Turner, said the paintings represented a version of the West his father admired, where bison roamed freely and the land remained largely untouched. The family stated that the sale is a way to continue his legacy.
All proceeds from the auction will go to the Turner Foundation, which was founded by Turner in 1990. The foundation focuses on protecting habitats, supporting communities, and promoting sustainable living.