KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — More than 30 American paintings collected by a Kansas City couple was sold this week for more than $2 million at an auction in Chicago. Thomas Hart Benton's "Discussion," depicting a laborer and a union representative, was bought Wednesday for over $1 million. Its presale estimate was about $400,000. The Kansas City Star reports Colleen Thielen, director of collections for Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, says the buyer is a private collector. The collection was amassed by Richard M. and Carol Levin, both of whom are deceased. The collection featured other pieces by Benton, who taught at the Kansas City Art Institute, as well as pieces by John Steuart Curry and Charles Burchfield.
KC Art Collection Nets $2.3 Million in Chicago Auction
