Behind every great art story is a great patron—and New York-based collector and jewelry designer Christophe de Menil was born into a family of facilitators. The daughter of John and Dominique de Menil, renowned collectors of everyone from Rothko to Matisse whose extensive Houston-based art collection was at one time the biggest in the US (and grandmother to a creative set including late artist Dash Snow and Max Snow).

Teaming up with online auction house Paddle8, the octogenarian benefactor offers up the relics of a life thoroughly lived in a short film by director Ben Clotten. The auction, beginning today, offers for the first time the chance to own pieces from her storied collection, including works by American couturier Charles James, composer John Cage and theater director Robert Wilson, with whom de Menil worked as a costume designer for 20 years.

Christophe de Menil on art appreciation...
What I’m doing is not so different from what my parents were doing. I was just given the opportunity to look a lot when I was growing up, and then finally I started to look by myself. It’s a continuation. I think every generation comes a little forward in its appreciation of art but human nature is still the same. 

On collecting...
I collect because I like to absorb and look at new things. It was easy to get rid of these works because I have observed them, I’ve loved them, but I don’t need to see them anymore. I’m merely parting with their art; the relationships I have with the artists and the absorption of the art I have collected from them, I’m not parting with that, that’s very hard to part with. For the time being I want to see something else, it’s time for new blood.

On new blood...
My grandchildren don’t want my collection, I wanted to put it into storage and [Paddle8 co-founder] Alexander Gilkes said I should share it with the world. I wanted clean new walls for new art: Tona Pelizzi, Gedi Sibony and Daniel Arsham, they have real grace. Gedi Siboney reminds me of [American abstract expressionist] Barnett Newman and Daniel Arsham is better than any Magritte. It just takes people a while to see.

Joseph Delaney is Editorial Assistant at NOWNESS.

Bid for property from Christophe de Menil's collection at Paddle8 from December 2 through December 12.