Audrey Hepburn Family Collection To Be Sold At Christie’s

Audrey Hepburn

Items from the family collection of the iconic actress Audrey Hepburn a to go under the hammer at Christie’s in London. Portraits, personal letters and her own annotated film script from Breakfast at Tiffany’s will be sold. Christie’s said the sale would feature “unique personal objects which have never before been seen on the market”. They include a letter from Tiffany’s author Truman Capote and a cigarette lighter – engraved “For My Fair Lady” – which she received from that film’s art director.

‘It is with great joy that we seek to share her spirit, through this sale, and its related previews’ — Luca Dotti and Sean Hepburn Ferrer

The sale is endorsed by Hepburn’s sons Luca and Sean, who said they hoped it would allow their mother’s “ever-growing base of admirers… to share her spirit”. The auctions will include Audrey Hepburn’s extensive personal wardrobe and her own annotated copies of film scripts from her best-loved films, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s. They will also include original portraits by major photographers from her personal archive, the majority of which date from between 1953 and 1968 when she was at the height of her screen career. The collection of memorabilia and letters offers an intimate snapshot of the life of a true Hollywood great.

‘We are thrilled to have been entrusted with the sale of items from Audrey Hepburn’s personal collection,’  says Adrian Hume-Sayer, Director, Private Collections. ‘Her name is one that instantly resonates, and 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.’

 

Audrey Hepburn collection
Iconic actress Audrey Hepburn collection At Christie’s

 

A selection of Audrey Hepburn’s ballet pumps in a variety of colours. Estimates from £1,500 Born in Brussels in 1929, Audrey Kathleen Hepburn spent her childhood between Belgium, England and the Netherlands. She studied ballet and performed as a chorus girl in London’s West End, before travelling to the USA to star on Broadway in Gigi in 1951. She rose to international stardom in 1953 with her Academy Award-winning performance in Roman Holiday. Hepburn went on to win three BAFTAs and in 1994 became one of only 12 people in history to win competitive Emmy, Grammy, Academy and Tony Awards, known by the acronym EGOT. She starred in numerous well-loved and critically acclaimed films, including Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Funny Face, My Fair Lady and Sabrina.

Later in life, Audrey Hepburn devoted much of her time to UNICEF — in December 1992 she was awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador. Audrey Hepburn died in 1993 at the age of 63.

‘We lost our mother and best friend, and the world lost an enduring symbol of grace, elegance and humanity,’ declare Luca Dotti and Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey Hepburn’s sons. ‘We preserved our feelings for her as well as her belongings, each of which signified her life’s choices and philosophy. After 24 years we have focused on those items that we wished to keep, as well as those we are pleased to pass on to future generations.

‘In an effort to include all those who have felt affection towards her, we have selected a collection of items to share with her ever-growing base of admirers. It is with great joy that we seek to share her spirit, through this sale, and its related previews, with all of those who have enjoyed her films and her sense of style, and who have followed her humanitarian legacy.’

This September, Christie’s in London will offer collectors the opportunity to acquire personal items treasured by the acting and fashion legend and humanitarian, Audrey Hepburn

The collection of one of the most beloved stars in the history of film and fashion will be presented at a flagship live auction at Christie’s King Street headquarters in London on 27 September, alongside an online sale which will be open for bidding on 19 September and continue until 3 October.

The collection is an extraordinary archive, chronicling the life and career of one of the most famous screen actresses of the 20th century through the lens of the objects she collected, used and loved. This is the first time these remarkable, personal items, which have remained in the ownership of Audrey Hepburn’s family, have been offered for sale. The collection will be on view to the public in an exhibition at Christie’s King Street, London from 23 September.

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