Auction introduction: Sotheby’s is pleased to present the spring 19th-Century Works of Art online auction, anchored by a selection of works from The Muriel S. and Noah L. Butkin Collection, sold to benefit the Cleveland Museum of Art. Muriel and Noah Butkin were passionate and generous collectors of 19th-century works of art. Their transformative gifts to the Cleveland Museum of Art totaled over 440 paintings and works on paper by primarily French Academic and Realist artists, including Rosa Bonheur, François Bonvin, Jean-Léon Gérôme, Leon Lhermitte, Ernest Meissonier, Horace Vernet, and Georges Vibert. In their collecting practice and ensuring the legacy of their collection, the Butkins sought to bring renewed attention to both celebrated and overlooked 19th-century artists.