Barry Humphries' Personal Collection Fetches £4.6 Million at Christie’s Auction
Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection auction achieved £4.6M, surpassing estimates, with global bidders competing for rare art, books, and memorabilia.
The much-anticipated auction, Barry Humphries: The Personal Collection, captivated bidders across time zones, opening with the legendary greeting, “Hello Possums”, before an intense bidding session unfolded.
The sale achieved a total of £4,627,224 (including buyer’s premium), surpassing its pre-sale high estimate. Spanning nearly nine hours, the event drew enthusiastic participation from collectors in 41 countries.
The auction began with a tribute to Humphries’ friendships within the art world, featuring Barry Humphries painting at Shoalhaven by renowned Australian artist Arthur Boyd. This special piece, dedicated “Happy Birthday Barry, from Arthur Boyd…” and inscribed “Please Come Back”, sold for £32,760—more than triple its pre-sale estimate (£6,000–10,000).
Four of Humphries’ own paintings significantly outperformed expectations, with The Library and Chapel - Quinta da Capela, Sintra, Portugal selling for £25,200—over eight times its estimate (£2,000–3,000).
The highest-selling artwork of the auction was Charles Conder’s Sand Dunes, Ambleteuse, which achieved £239,400.
A major literary highlight was Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, a rare first edition (number 1 of 12), personally inscribed by Wilde to his publisher. This extraordinary piece sold for £138,600.
The auction also raised over £60,000 for the Royal Variety Charity, with standout sales including The Royal Variety Dress and Jubilee Girl Dress, both designed by Stephen Adnitt, each fetching £21,420—more than eight times their pre-sale estimates.
Dame Edna’s enduring charm was evident in the fierce bidding for memorabilia, with a pair of her signature yellow-lacquered ‘Possum’ spectacles selling for £37,800—over 25 times their estimated value.
The sale concluded on a high note when The Scream tunic by Stephen Adnitt soared past its pre-sale estimate to reach £44,100—more than 14 times its expected value.
"These fantastic results are a testament to Barry’s unique vision and lifelong passion for collecting. Extraordinary prices were achieved for Symbolist art, works on paper, books and of course Dame Edna’s ‘face furniture’ and dresses. Christie’s is incredibly proud to have offered this Iconic Collection at auction, with the results paying a fitting tribute to Barry Humphries and his remarkable legacy." - Benedict Winter, Head of Sale, Private & Iconic Collections, Christie’s London.
