Lauren Bacall’s Art Collection For Bonhams Auction

The 700-piece art collection of actress Lauren Bacall, who died earlier this year at the age of 89, will go up for auction at Bonhams next year; reports Reuters. The actress’s holdings of paintings, sculpture, jewelry – including tribal and twentieth century art – are estimated to be worth nearly £2 million, According to the AFP.

The actress first appeared as a leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film Have and Have Not and was a regular in the film noir genre, with appearances in Bogart movies The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, and Key Largo, as well as comedic roles in How to Marry a Millionaire with Marilyn Monroe and Designing Woman with Gregory Peck. But it was less well known that Bacall was an avid collector of Modern and tribal art.

The actress’s works include such art luminaries as David Hockney, Pablo Picasso, and James Audubon who are represented in her collection, which also includes a significant amount of African art. Bacall began to collect African art while her first husband (and four-time co-star), Humphrey Bogart, was filming ‘The African Queen’. The actress’s collection adorned her various homes including New York, Los Angeles, and Long Island.

The the auction of Bacall’s vast collection will likely include the actress’s eight Henry Moore sculptures. Bacall actually enjoyed a long friendship with the British artist after they met in 1976, although she began collecting his work back in the 1950s. According to Artfix Daily,

“We are looking forward to providing the public with a rare glimpse into Ms. Bacall’s formidable collecting sense and intuitive style,” said Jon King, Bonham’s director of business development, in a statement.

The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology has also announced a planned 2015 exhibition based on the 700-odd garments that Bacall had donated to the museum before her death; meaning that the blockbuster auction will not be the only posthumous return to the spotlight for the renowned actress.

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