Sotheby’s has just revealed it will sell the never-before-seen private collection of Freddie Mercury, the rock icon and longtime frontman of the beloved British band Queen, this fall.
Anyone who has followed and loved Mercury’s groundbreaking music and flamboyant stage presence will likely not be surprised to see that the objects on offer range from a silver Tiffany comb and a “Royal”-styled crown and cloak, to his personal Martin acoustic guitar and Chinese ceramics, to artwork by Matisse and Picasso.
Freddie Mercury’s crown and accompanying cloak, in fake fur, red velvet and rhinestones, made by his costume designer Diana Moseley, and thought to be loosely modeled on the coronation crown of the United Kingdom. Photo courtesy Sotheby’s.
As Sotheby’s noted in the statement accompanying the sale, while Mercury captivated audiences across the globe, it was at his beloved home, known as Garden Lodge in Kensington, West London, where he fashioned his own private world, assembling a collection that reflected his expansive imagination.
Pablo Picasso, Jacqueline au Chapeau Noir (1962). Photo courtesy Sotheby’s.
After acquiring Garden Lodge in 1980, Mercury immediately began creating a home that was simultaneously grand and intimate, furnished with classic pieces and works of art. “It was a place wholly of his own making, a home to which he could retreat,” according to Sotheby’s.
To give an idea of some asking prices, the estimate on the crown and cloak is £60,000 to £80,000 ($74,400 to $99,200), while the above pictured depiction of Jacqueline Picasso is estimated at £50,000 to £70,000 ($62,000 to $86,800). The Martin guitar is estimated at £30,000 to £50,000 ($37,200 to $62,000).
While Sotheby’s is still cataloguing the contents of Mercury’s home months ahead of the sale, the running estimate tally has already hit roughly £6 million ($7.4 million) and the collection is not guaranteed.
This summer, the contents of the house will be revealed to the public in a month-long exhibition at Sotheby’s London headquarters. The auction house said every inch of the 16,000 square-foot gallery space will be dedicated to celebrating Mercury’s rich and multifaceted life. In September, the house will stage six dedicated sales, with each devoted to a different aspect of his life.
Freddie Mercury’s 1975 Martin D-35 Acoustic Guitar, in its original case, photographed in his dressing room at Garden Lodge. Photo courtesy Sotheby’s.
Mary Austin, Mercury’s lifelong friend, has cared for his home and the objects inside for the last three decades.
“The time has come for me to take the difficult decision to close this very special chapter in my life,” Austin said in a statement. “It was important to me to do this in a way that I felt Freddie would have loved, and there was nothing he loved more than an auction. Freddie was an incredible and intelligent collector who showed us that there is beauty and fun and conversation to be found in everything”
Austin will be donating a portion of the proceeds of the sale to both the Mercury Phoenix Trust and the foundation of one of Mercury’s closest friends, the Elton John Aids Foundation.
Utagawa Hiroshige, Sudden Shower over the Shin-Ohashi Bridge and Atake (1857). Photo courtesy Sotheby’s.
Mercury originally studied graphic art and design at Ealing Art School, which undoubtedly informed his lifelong love and appreciation of art. He also studied fashion and, in his early days, made a living from selling vintage clothes and textiles from a market stall. Another great passion was Japan, which Queen toured six times. Mercury often returned for personal trips with the sole mission of building on his collection of art and fashion.
Jane Seymour in a white ballgown with Freddie Mercury in a military-style dress uniform during the Fashion Aid benefit concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, November 5, 1985. Photo: Dave Hogan/Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
The “Freddie Mercury: A World of His Own” exhibition will open on August 4 and run through September 5, which would have been the artist’s 77th birthday. Prior to the exhibition in London, highlights from the collection will tour to New York, Angeles, and Hong Kong in June.