The interior designer, socialite, and philanthropist Mica Ertegun epitomized the American dream. Born in Romania, in 1926, the daughter of a Romanian doctor and statesman, Mica married her first husband at age 16. In the late 1940s, after fleeing Romanian communism, the couple briefly managed a chicken farm in Canada. Mica, whose elegance was austere, met Ahmet Ertegun, a co-founder of Atlantic Records, in New York City; in 1961 he became her second husband. With Chessy Rayner, Mica founded the MAC II design firm. It quickly became an international sensation, with clients from Park Avenue to the Middle East. Mica and Ahmet’s own homes were located in New York, Southampton, Paris, and Bodrum. Prominent philanthropists, they also built a glorious art collection. Now, Christie’s hosts a multi-part landmark auction of Mica’s estate. On November 19th, Rene Magritte’s L’empire des lumières sold for a record-breaking $121.2 million after less than 10 minutes of bidding, the highest price ever realized both by the artist and the entire Surrealist movement. Masterpieces by David Hockney, Joan Miró, and Ed Ruscha also sold speedily. In December, Ertegun’s treasure troves of furniture in Paris and New York will receive their own sales, in person in New York and online. —Lucy Horowitz