Ileana Sonnabend: a taste for the unexpected, a life in contemporary art

Candace Wetmore | Christies.com | 14th September 2026

Sonnabend was one of a tiny group of art dealers who can be said to have influenced the direction of art. After dabbling in art in post-war New York, she opened a gallery in Paris in 1961, introducing contemporary American art to Europe. Moving back to New York in 1971 she introduced an astonishing, “daring” rollcall of major artists. Such was her judgement that Rauschenberg said, “I never finished a painting without wondering what Ileana would think of it.’ Said Sonnabend “I only want what I don’t like”.