Among the lots offered at Christie’s is ’42nd street movie theatre audience, N.Y.C’ (1958) by Diane Arbus. — Picture courtesy of Christie’s via ETX Studio
NEW YORK, March 7 — Richard Gere is not only an acclaimed actor. He is also an avid collector of photographs. About a hundred pictures belonging to the American actor will be auctioned from March 23 to April 7 at Christie’s, during a large online sale.
Richard Gere has accumulated 156 photographs in sales over the years. His collection presents an outline of the history of photography through the 19th and 20th centuries. There are pictures by pioneers in the matter such as Gustave Le Gray and Carleton Watkins, but also by great names of modern photography such as Alfred Stieglitz, Richard Avedon, Tina Modotti and Sally Mann.
According to Artnet News, Richard Gere developed a passion for this medium after meeting Herb Ritts. His black and white photograph of the actor, currently housed at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, helped make Ritts the official portrait photographer of Hollywood. Following this encounter, Richard Gere began to befriend other photographers, whose work he bought. “These photographs arrived in my life because I felt something for them. They have real soul, a humanity, a generosity — it doesn’t matter what the technique is. You know, you listen to an early recording of a great opera singer from 1902, when they just started recording — it’s scratchy, it’s trebly. But the quality of that voice, the soul of the voice, it still hits you hard in your heart,” Gere said in a statement.
A collection estimated at US$2 million
Among the lots offered at Christie’s are “Djimon with Octopus, Hollywood” by Herb Ritts and “42nd street movie theatre audience, N.Y.C.” by Diane Arbus, both estimated at US$25,000 to US$35,000 (RM104,483 to RM146,275). One of the highlights of the sale is a black and white portrait of singer Bob Dylan by Richard Avedon. It could be sold for US$60,000, according to the auction house’s estimate.
Richard Gere’s photography collection could fetch nearly US$2 million. “We are thrilled to handle such stunning works by one of the great film actors of the 20th century. Honed by years both in front of and behind a camera, Gere’s passion for image-making and collecting is on full view in this wonderfully diverse collection,” said Darius Himes, International Head of Photographs at Christie’s.
Before being put up for sale, Richard Gere’s collection of photographs will be on display from March 23 to 26 at Christie’s gallery in Los Angeles. A showing that is sure to attract photography enthusiasts and art-loving bidders. — ETX Studio