Western art collected by T. Boone Pickens offered at auction

DALLAS – Works of art depicting the American West and other pieces collected by the late Texas oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens are expected to sell at auction for more than $15 million.

Christie’s said Thursday that the auction will be held Oct. 28 in New York. Christie’s said the art collection spans over a century, with works ranging from from Frederic Remington’s “The Signal” from 1900 to Howard Terpning’s “Flags on the Frontier” from 2001.

Tylee Abbott, an American art specialist at Christie’s, said the works assembled by Pickens were “an extension of himself, a kind of self-portrait of the collector.”

“The art with which he chose to surround himself consistently depicts the bold, strong-willed personages of the West and the endurance of the American spirit,” Abbott said.

The roughly 75 pieces being auctioned off include paintings, sculptures, watches and cufflinks.

Pickens, who grew up in Holdenville, Oklahoma, died last Sept. 11 at the age of 91 at his Dallas home.

His alma mater, Oklahoma State University, is marking the anniversary of his death Friday with a virtual dedication of his childhood home, which was relocated last year to Stillwater. The house is now at Karsten Creek Golf Club, which is the home of Oklahoma State’s golf teams.

Pickens, who donated more than half a billion dollars to the university, is buried outside his childhood bedroom window.