Auctions
Actor Michael Caine Is Auctioning Off His Marc Chagall Painting, an ‘Alfie’ Poster, and Other Art and Movie Memorabilia
Bonhams will sell the collection in March.
Bonhams will sell the collection in March.
Eileen Kinsella ShareShare This Article
This March, Bonhams will sell a collection of memorabilia and art owned by the 88-year-old actor Michael Caine.
Unlike most celebrity auctions, the sale comes not as part of an estate liquidation, but from the actor’s own decision to downsize and live at what he called a more “leisurely” pace with his wife, Shakira Caine.
Among the fine art highlights are Les Amoureux dans l’arbre by Marc Chagall, estimated at £30,000 to £50,000 ($41,000-$68,000), and Peel Park by Laurence Stephen Lowry, estimated at £12,000 to £18,000 ($16,000-$24,000).
“It’s going to be quite a wrench to part with so many treasured parts of my life and career, but it’s the right time to be moving on,” Caine said in a statement. “I hope these mementos will give their new owners as much pleasure as they have given us.”
There is also a portrait of Caine that was painted by Lincoln Townley, the British painter known for his dark, quasi-abstract portraits, estimated at £10,000 to £15,000 ($13,600 to $20,000). The proceeds will benefit the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
Caine is a former patron and longtime supporter of the organization. “We are touched and extremely grateful he has chosen to donate all the proceeds raised from the sale of this fantastic portrait of him to such an important cause,” said the society’s CEO, Peter Wanless, said in a statement.
Other highlights include Caine’s Rolex watch, estimated at £8,000 to £12,000 ($11,000 to $16,000), and another portrait of the actor by John Bratby (1977), estimated at £2,000 to £3,000 ($2,700 to $4,000).
There are also some promotional film posters on offer, including a large two poster for the film Zulu made for the Italian market, and another for Alfie, one of Caine’s most famous starring roles, which earned him nominations for best actor at the 1967 Academy Awards
“Michael Caine is a cinema legend internationally and a national treasure here in the U.K.,” said Charlie Thomas, Bonhams’s director of house sales and iconic collections. “I know the [collection] will excite great interest among collectors and film fans alike.”