Paul Allen's art collection tops $1bn at Christie's

'The Conversation' by David Hockney, part of Paul Allen's art collection, on display at Christie's Los Angeles on Oct 12. (Photo: AFP)

NEW YORK: Paintings and sculptures from the collection of late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen were auctioned off for a historic US$1 billion on Wednesday, Christie's auction house said, with records set for works by Van Gogh, Cezanne, Gauguin, Seurat and Klimt.

Five paintings entered the exclusive club of works of art sold for more than $100 million at auction, the New York auction house said, in a sign that the art market continues to grow despite economic uncertainties related to the war in Ukraine and inflation.