Sotheby’s will sell the art collection of late actor and comedian Robin Williams and his former wife Marsha this fall. The sale will include a wide range of objects, from a Harry Potter robe to blue-chip contemporary artworks by sculptors including Magdalena Abaknowicz, Deborah Butterfield, and Niki de Saint Phalle.
Deborah Butterfield, Madrone (Cody) (2000). The Marsha and Robin Williams Collection. Image courtesy Sotheby’s.
In all, the dedicated sale on October 4 is expected to realize between $3.3 million to $4.7 million with proceeds intended to benefit the couple’s favorite charities and institutions, including the Juilliard School, Wounded Warrior Project, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and the Christopher and Dana Reeve collection.
Only a fraction of the works have been cataloged so far, but the collection is said to include work by street artists, Banksy, Shepard Fairey, and Invader. Personal property and collectibles include more than 40 watches and a selection of bicycles and sports memorabilia. The sale is officially titled “Creating a Stage: The Collection of Marsha and Robin Williams.”
Robin William as Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), with then-wife Marsha Garces Williams. Image Courtesy Sotheby’s.
The Oscar-winning actor, famous for his roles in films such as Dead Poets Society, Good Will Hunting, and Good Morning Vietnam, reportedly suffered from depression and committed suicide in 2014 at the age of 63. He was born in Chicago in 1951 and studied at the Juilliard School in New York. The first role that garnered the comedian widespread attention was as an extraterrestrial character in the 1970s TV show Mork and Mindy.
Magdalena Abakanowicz, Caminando will be offered as part of the Marsha and Robin Williams Collection.
Image courtesy Sotheby’s
In 1992, Williams voiced the genie character in Disney’s production of Aladdin. But complications around the production damaged his relationship the studio. To smooth things over, Disney gave the actor a Picasso painting—albeit one he found too frightening to hang—estimated to be worth $1 million. The work will not be part of the fall auction, according to Sotheby’s.