An impressive art collection owned by Weis Markets’ former chairman is headed to Christie’s auction block this fall.
The collection amassed by the late Robert F. Weis and Patricia G. Ross Weis is valued at more than $180 million and includes works by Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian and Mark Rothko.
The Weis family owns Weis Markets Inc., a supermarket chain founded in 1912 in Sunbury by Robert Weis’ father Harry Weis and uncle Sigmund Weis.
The auction of 80 lots will be held in November, with 18 of the lots offered as one collection.
Christie’s said the collection comes from the couple’s Pennsylvania home and New York City apartment.
“Passionate collectors, generous philanthropists and loving parents, over decades they thoughtfully assembled a deeply personal collection bridging continents and eras,” the auction house said.
Among the works are Picasso’s 1932 painting La lecture (Marie-Thérèse), which carries an estimate of about $40 million; Matisse’s Figure et bouquet (Tête ocre), estimated at between $15 million and $25 million; and Mondrian’s Composition with Red and Blue (1939–41), with an estimate of $20 million–$30 million.
Robert Weis died in 2015 at the age of 96. Patricia Weis died in 2024.
The couple, who were married 57 years, were “equal partners in the collecting process” and “held a particular affinity for creativity and the arts,” according to Christie’s.
But they kept a low profile and their collection was largely private.
Christie’s vice chairman Max Carter told the New York Times he was surprised by the collection, noting he had only ever seen a couple of the works reproduced in black-and-white in books, but never knew who owned them.
The couple’s three children Colleen, Jennifer and Jonathan Weis decided to auction off the collection. Jonathan Weis is chairman, president and CEO of Weis Markets.
In a shared statement, the three siblings said, “Growing up with our parents’ art collection has brought us great joy and created a lifelong interest and passion for art in the three of us. It has defined our family experience, and we have been lucky to live among these beautiful things. Our stewardship of them will pass to others who we hope will be equally inspired by the beauty and depth of feeling that the collection evokes.”
The full collection can be viewed on Christie’s website.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
