Some 500 artworks from the collection of advertising mogul and art collector Charles Saatchi will be auctioned by Artsy in a three-part sale, with the proceeds being donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity).
The first part of the auction, “Saatchi Collection: Auction In Aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity” features 150 artworks and will run from September 11th at noon EDT until September 25th at noon EDT. Estimated prices for works in the sale range from £300 ($397) to £60,000 ($79,316). On sale will be pieces by the likes of Richard Billingham, Rafael Gomez Barros, Soheila Sokhanvari, Robin Lowe, Tillman Kaiser, John Stezaker, Alison Fox, and Peter Davies, among others.
“I am grateful to Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, and the hospital is particularly close to my heart,” said Saatchi, who founded his eponymous collection in 1985. Saatchi is among the most influential collectors in contemporary art history. He is best known for his promotion of the Young British Artists (YBAs) and his stewardship of the Saatchi Gallery—now in London’s Chelsea—where he has continued to support emerging artists. The works selected for the sale highlight various aspects of the collector’s influence in the London art scene.
Works from the sale include:
- Robin Lowe’s Young Thief / Self-Portrait in Pink (1997), which was exhibited in the influential 1998 exhibition “Young Americans 2: New American Art at the Saatchi Gallery.” It carries an estimate of £600–£800 ($793–$1,058).
- Soheila Sokhanvari’s Moje Sabz (2011), a taxidermied horse set within a turquoise blob, which was featured in the group exhibition “Champagne Life,” the Saatchi Gallery’s first all-female exhibition in 2016. It carries an estimate of £2,600–£3,600 ($3,437–$4,758).
- Jonathan Wateridge’s Group Series No.2 – Space Program (2008), which was featured in the 2010 show “Newspeak, British Art Now,” at Saatchi Gallery. Its estimate is £40,000–£60,000 ($52,877–$79,316)
The auction will also see 100% of the hammer price (which does not include administrative costs, fees, shipping, and taxes) from artworks sold donated to GOSH, which helps to support seriously ill children from across the U.K. “We’d like to say a huge thank you to Artsy and the Saatchi Collection for
their invaluable support,” said Sarah Bissell, GOSH’s deputy director of relationship fundraising.
Part two of the sale will take place on October 3–17 and part three will run from December 5th–19th.
