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The late Gene Hackman left behind one of cinema’s greatest legacies, delivering unforgettable performances in films as varied as The French Connection, Unforgiven, Hoosiers and The Royal Tenenbaums. But this fall, New Yorkers will have the rare chance to encounter a different side of him entirely.
Bonhams auction house will present The Gene Hackman Collection: A Life in Art, a single-owner sale featuring the actor’s personal art holdings, movie memorabilia and even some of his own creations. A public preview will take place at Bonhams’ Madison Avenue location across three days in November, offering a quiet window into the private world of the two-time Oscar winner.
The preview kicks off tomorrow and runs through November 19 at Bonhams New York in midtown Manhattan, with the live sale scheduled for November 19. The galleries will display works by major figures, including Milton Avery, Richard Diebenkorn and Auguste Rodin. Hackman collected with the same blend of discipline and curiosity that defined his acting career. Rather than chasing trends or trophy pieces, he followed intuition. Many pieces remained with him for decades.
"These are prestigious works with impeccable provenance, further enriched by their association with one of the greatest actors of our time," said Andrew Huber, Bonhams head of 20th and 21st century art, U.S., in an official statement. "Hackman was not only a collector but an artist himself, and his approach to collecting mirrors the care, aesthetic sensibility and discipline evident in his own artistic practice. This is a collection shaped with extraordinary thoughtfulness and passion."
The sale’s standout work is Avery’s "Figure on the Jetty," estimated at up to $700,000 and notable for both its Provincetown origins and rich exhibition history. Also significant is Diebenkorn’s "Green," part of the artist’s Ocean Park series and widely considered one of his most important prints. A large-scale bronze by Rodin rounds out the group of top-tier artworks, the kind of piece rarely seen outside institutional collections.
But the preview’s emotional pull may come from the more intimate items: scripts marked with handwritten notes, film posters and Hackman’s own drawings and sculptures. There will be two online auctions featuring these more personal possessions, The Gene Hackman Collection: A Life in Art, Part II and Part III. Part II will run in New York November 8–21, and Part III in Los Angeles November 25–December 4. Included in these auctions will be three of Hackman's Golden Globes, for his performances in Unforgiven and The Royal Tenenbaums, and his 2003 Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award.
The in-person preview is free and open to the public at 580 Madison Avenue.