Auction February 11, 2026
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NEW YORK, NY -- Spirited bidding and a glittering provenance drove outstanding results at Part II of A Vanderbilt & Whitney Legacy: The Collection of Marylou Whitney & John Hendrickson as the total soared beyond expectations and every lot sold. This second session on February 11, 2026 presented furniture, artwork, silver, racing memorabilia, decorations and more from The Marylou Whitney Farm of Lexington, Kentucky. The auction followed the highly successful November 2025 sale of the contents of Cady Hill, the Saratoga Springs, New York residence of the Whitney family.
Vanderbilt Silver Shone!
Silver in the Collection featured exceptional pieces with a Vanderbilt provenance reflecting the opulence of the Gilded Age. Among the highlights were wedding gifts presented to Gertrude Vanderbilt on the occasion of her 1896 marriage to Harry Payne Whitney at The Breakers, the lavish Newport residence of her parents, Cornelius Vanderbilt II and Alice Claypoole Gwynne Vanderbilt. An elaborate repoussé seven-piece tea and coffee service with matching tray by Howard & Co. of New York, gifted to her by her grandmother, Maria Louisa Kissam Vanderbilt, achieved $38,400. Also by Howard & Co. were gifts from her aunt, Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard—a pair of five-light candelabra realized for $28,800 and four matching candlesticks sold for $20,480. All surpassed their high estimates. (Read More)
Other notable silver included a stunning pair of George V silver-gilt wine and water ewers from 1910 by Sydney Bellamy Harman, London, that more than doubled their estimate to achieve $38,400. Titled Sacred to Bacchus and Sacred to Neptune, the ewers were originally designed by the sculptor John Flaxman (1755–1826) for Wedgwood, which produced them in black basalt and in blue and white jasperware. The models were far more rarely executed in silver, such as these early 20th century examples in silver-gilt.
Sculptures by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney
The sale included a rare offering of three sculptures by C.V.’s mother, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–1942), founder of the Whitney Museum of American Art. Highlighting the group was a compelling marble sculpture from 1934, Devotion, which sold over its estimate for $25,600. Standing 64 inches in height, the piece was exhibited in the 1943 memorial retrospective of her work held at the Whitney Museum. Also offered was the marble Head for the Titanic Memorial from 1915, which more than doubled its estimate, realizing $12,800. The head relates to Whitney’s celebrated 13-foot-tall Titanic Memorial, authorized by Congress in 1917 and completed in 1918, which overlooks the Potomac River in Washington, DC.
Thoroughbred Portraits by Henry Stull
Equestrian paintings in the Collection featured eight portraits of thoroughbreds by Canadian/American artist Henry Stull (1851–1913). The paintings descended through three generations of the Whitney family, beginning with William Collins Whitney (1841–1904), grandfather of Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and founder of the Whitney racing dynasty. Leading the group was a 1901 portrait of Nasturtium that achieved $21,760, well over its estimate. Nasturtium (1899–1916) was celebrated as the American Champion Two-Year-Old Colt of 1901, the year this work was painted. He won three of his five starts, highlighted by a track-record victory in the Flatbush Stakes at Sheepshead Bay. The jockey is shown wearing the famous Whitney colors—"Eton blue" silks paired with a brown cap. Over three generations, the Whitneys produced more stakes winners than any other family in U.S. racing history, with Eton blue and brown becoming emblematic of victory on the turf. (Read More)
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney (1899–1992)
Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney, known both as “C.V.” and “Sonny,” was a distinguished figure whose life embodied the legacy of two of America’s most storied families—the Vanderbilts and the Whitneys. The son of businessman and Thoroughbred breeder Harry Payne Whitney and his wife, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, he inherited a deep connection to both industry and art. A financier, philanthropist, and passionate horseman, C.V. carried forward the family’s celebrated tradition in Thoroughbred racing established by his grandfather, William Collins Whitney. Beyond the racetrack, he was a co-founder of Selznick International Pictures film studio and co-founder of Pan American Airways. Featured in the auction was an engraved plaque from the 1939 dedication of the Pan Am Yankee Clipper flying boat, which flew past its estimate to achieve $3,520.
Marylou Whitney (1925–2019)
In 1958, C.V. married Marie Louise Schroeder Hosford, who would become known to the world as Marylou Whitney, a sparkling hostess and tireless advocate for the sport of thoroughbred racing. The Whitney House—later known as The Marylou Whitney Farm—in Lexington, Kentucky became, through Marylou’s warmth and hospitality, a social and cultural hub within the Bluegrass community. Following Cornelius’s death in 1992, Marylou continued her deep involvement in the racing community and later married John Hendrickson, with whom she shared her passion for philanthropy and horse racing.
Consignments are currently being accepted for future auctions. We invite you to contact us for complimentary auction estimates. Our Specialists are always available to discuss the sale of a single item or an entire collection.
