Lauren Bacall’s Art Collection Heads to Auction

Lauren Bacall.
Photo: Flickr.

Next year, Bonhams will auction off the 700-piece art collection of actress Lauren Bacall, who died this summer at the age of 89 (see “Remembering Lauren Bacall, Screen Goddess and Art Collector“), reports Reuters. According to the AFP, her holdings in paintings, sculpture, jewelry, tribal and twentieth-century art are estimated at $3 million.

The sale’s highlights will likely include Bacall’s eight Henry Moore sculptures—the actress 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, two 1976 Moore bronzes, Working Model for Reclining Figure: Bone Skirt (1977–99) and Maquette for Mother and Child: Arms (1976) will headline Bonhams’ November 4 Impressionist and Modern art sale.

Lauren Bacall and Henry Moore in front of <em>Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 3</em> (1961), in 1977.

Lauren Bacall and Henry Moore in front of Two Piece Reclining Figure No. 3 (1961), in 1977.

During her life, Bacall’s collection adorned her homes in New York, Los Angeles, and Long Island. David Hockney, Pablo Picasso, and James Audubon are among the other artists represented in her collection, which also includes a significant amount of African art. Bacall became interested in the region’s art while her first husband (and four-time co-star), Humphrey Bogart, was filming The African Queen.

“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 blockbuster auction will not be the only posthumous turn in the spotlight for Bacall, as the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology has announced a planned 2015 exhibition based on the 700-odd garments the actress donated to the museum before her death (see “NYC Museum Plans Lauren Bacall Exhibition“).


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