Three art works from Liz Taylor collection snag $21.8 mn

London: Three top works from the late Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor’s art collection have sold at a London auction for nearly 14 million pounds (USD 22 million), the auctioneer Christie`s said Tuesday.

The lot’s biggest-selling item was Van Gogh’s ‘Vue de l’asile de la Chapelle de Remy,’ which used to hang in the living room of Taylor’s Bel Air home. The tan-and-turquoise landscape was sold for more than 10 million pounds (nearly USD 16 million) to an anonymous telephone bidder. The two other pieces, a self-portrait by Edgar Degas and a landscape by Claude Pissarro, sold earlier in the evening. Marc Porter, chairman of Christie’s Americas, called the works the "crown jewel" of the showbiz legend`s collection, and he said in a statement that the auctioneer hoped for more positive results when it offered the rest of Taylor`s art collection Wednesday. Taylor died in March at age 79, and Christie`s has been selling off her possessions piecemeal. Last month, the auctioneer sold a 17th-century portrait that once hung over Taylor`s fireplace for USD 2 million. In December, Christie`s sold her collection of jewelry, fashion and memorabilia for well over USD 100 million, including USD 8.8 million for a diamond ring given to her by Richard Burton, whom she married twice. Prices include the buyer`s premium. Bureau Report