Following the announcement that Sotheby's is to sell Gone with the Wind star Vivien Leigh's collection of art, antiques, jewellery, couture and film memorabilia in London on September 26th, Christie's the following day will auction the collection of another renowned Hollywood actor, Audrey Hepburn. She was born in Brussels in 1929 and rose to stardom with her Academy Award-winning performance in the 1953 film Roman Holiday and later, in 1961, the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. However, she is arguably best-known for the film My Fair Lady.
Hepburn was one of the most recognisable faces of 20th-century cinema and widely regarded as a style icon. Later in life she devoted much of her time to philanthropy and was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a Unicef Goodwill Ambassador in December 1992. She died in 1993, aged 63.
Christie’s says this collection includes objects she used and loved that had remained in the ownership of her family until now.
The auction in London and an additional online sale (at Christies.com) will feature Hepburn's extensive personal wardrobe and her own annotated working copies of film scripts including Breakfast at Tiffany's as well as portraits from her personal archive of original professional portraits by major photographers, memorabilia and letters.
Commenting on the sale, her children – Luca Dotti and Sean Hepburn Ferrer – described their mother as “an enduring symbol of grace, elegance and humanity” and were selling the items “to share with her ever-growing base of admirers”.
Adrian Hume-Sayer, director of the Private Collections department at Christie’s, said Audrey Hepburn’s name is one that instantly resonates. “Her appeal and relevance remain as strong today as they ever were. The sales will offer fans and collectors alike the opportunity to acquire unique personal objects which have never before been seen on the market and which will undoubtedly offer new insights into the remarkable life of a remarkable woman”.
The top lot is Hepburn's annotated working script for Breakfast at Tiffany's, the film in which she played the character Holly Golightly. The script is estimated at £60,000- £80,000.
Other highlights include a Givenchy cocktail dress, £10,000-£15,000; a Burberry trench coat (£6,000-£8,000); and a cigarette lighter inscribed “FOR MY FAIR LADY” (£3,000-£5,000).
The collection will be on view to the public in an exhibition at Christie’s, King Street, London, from September 23rd.
