Taylor auctions raise almost £120m

22.02.12

A collection of artwork, jewellery and fashion belonging to Elizabeth Taylor has sold for almost £120 million at auction.

Every item in the collection of more than 1,800 lots was sold, some at 50 times their pre-sale estimates.

The auctions took place in New York and London, ending with a sale of artwork at Christie's in London on Wednesday.

The highest price achieved from the entire collection was a Van Gogh painting, Vue de l'asile et de la Chapelle de Saint-Remy, which fetched £10,121,250 on Tuesday. It had hung in Taylor's California home until her death in March 2011.

A total of 38 artworks were sold in London over two days.

One highlight of Wednesday's sale was a gift to the late Hollywood actress from her father, the art dealer Francis Taylor. Dutch artist Kees van Dongen's Promenade a Cheval sold for £601,250, well above its £120,000 estimate.

A group of 13 paintings by British artist Augustus John sold for a total of £192,825.

Source: The Press Association