A Picasso painting owned by the late Sir Sean Connery is up for auction.
The Buste d’homme dans un cadre is expected to go for more than £15 million.
The Sean Connery Philanthropic Fund will give the money to charities in Scotland and the Bahamas.
The James Bond 007 actor lived in the Caribbean with his wife Micheline for more than 30 years.
The 1969 painting will be sold by Christie’s in Hong Kong on May 26th.
It is said to be one of the best of Picasso’s musketeer portraits – a series the artist took from the book The Three Musketeers by French writer Alexandre Dumas..
Stephane Connery, the star’s stepson, told The Sunday Post:
“All of the artworks he [Sean] collected he was very invested in both emotionally and financially.
“There was nothing that he owned that he didn’t admire.
“He had a Matisse and numerous Picassos, one of which he sold in the early 2000s.
“We – his family – are now working to create a fund that will offer support to organisations that reflect Sean’s interests and passions, and serve to keep his legacy of integrity, opportunity and effectiveness alive.
“These efforts will be focused in Scotland, where Sean was born, and the Bahamas, where he lived for more than 30 years and adored like his homeland.”
Adrien Meyer, co-chairman of impressionist and modern art at Christie’s, said:
“No wonder is it that a titan of the film industry was drawn to this tour de force by the greatest modern art titan of all.
“Appearing at auction for the first time, this is simply one of the best works by the artist of his late period to ever come to market.”
Sir Sean died in 2020.
He was aged 90.
