William Blake Items Top Maurice Sendak Sale

On the 97th anniversary of his birth, Christie’s Maurice Sendak: Artist, Collector, Connoisseur auction made a total of $4,872,494. 

These sales will support the Sendak Fellowship, a residency program at The Maurice Sendak Foundation, a nonprofit organization that encourages, teaches and supports artists who tell stories with illustration.

Sendak referred to the artist, poet, and visionary William Blake as “my teacher in all things,” and indeed the top three lots in the sale were Blake's Songs of Experience ($1,865,000) and Songs of Innocence ($1,260,000), and a color-printed relief etching finished by Blake depicting a scene from The First Book of Urizen ($176,400).

Works by Sendak himself also sold well includeing a pencil and watercolor study for Sendak in Philadelphia which fetched $52,920, and a Really Rosie poster design ($30,240). Other highlights included:

• a Mickey and Minnie Mouse polychrome tin plate motorcycle toy ($119,700)
• a watercolor study for the cover of The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg ($94,500)
• The Lion and Stage by George Stubbs, enamel on copper oval ($163,800) 

Just before the auction, Christie’s and the New York Public Library sponsored a reading of Sendak works at FAO Schwarz where Sendak once worked designing windows. The Children’s librarian Louise Lareau read several books including Where the Wild Things Are to a crowd of children, and the office of Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine provided an official proclamation declaring June 10, 2025 Maurice Sendak Appreciation Day.  

The Sendak sale series continues with Maurice Sendak: Artist, Collector, Connoisseur online which closes June 12.