“The collector’s eye”, the collector’s eye, is an expression very beloved among those who are considered art historians. But Alain Delon, as, indeed, the choice of his whole life, was at heart an art lover, a collector who bought only what his heart desired. He has been asked in the past to take stock of his career achievements. “There are two things that I consider my legacy: my acting career and my art collection. I’m very proud of both,” he said. “People ask me if there’s a thread that ties these parts together. I say, ‘C’est moi!’

So this very personal collection of arguably France’s greatest movie star and legendary charmer will be auctioned by Bonhams on June 22nd in Paris. The name of this event “60 Years of Passion” fits perfectly with the personality of Delon, who is seriously ill at the age of 88.

5,000,000 euros is the estimated cost of the works that will be put up for auction in Paris. The famous actor’s collection consists of a selection of sculptures, paintings and drawings from the Italian Renaissance and the French 19th century.

The collection, which he lovingly acquired and is now up for auction, is an extraordinary collection of sculptures, paintings and drawings from the Italian Renaissance and the French 19th century. According to Bonhams experts, it includes masterpieces of great names from the history of art, such as Veronese, Becafumi, Corot, Delacroix, Diffie, Millais, Gleizes, as well as a number of impressive sculptures by Rembrandt Bugatti. The collection embarked on a world tour starting in Brussels in April, followed by New York, Hong Kong, Geneva and Paris, attracting worldwide attention. The Paris auction (Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr) includes 81 works, and the total estimate of the works is about 4-5 million euros.

Delon bought his first piece of art at the age of 24 while in London and never stopped. It was around the late 1950s when an African-American young man who ran a lot was discovered at the Cannes Film Festival by director David O. Selznick and signed his first contract. One film followed another, one novel followed another, one success followed another, and his dizzying rise in cinema was just beginning. Since 1960, his career began, but it was in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that he starred in films such as Rocco and His Brothers, Pool, Samurai, Red Circle, Mr. Klein” and “Our Story”. “French Oscar”, the award “Cesar I” for the best male role. In addition to his beauty, his acting skills earned him collaborations with the leading directors of his time, Luchino Visconti, Jean-Pierre Melville, Louis Malle and Jean-Luc Godard. He was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1991 and received an honorary Golden Bear and an honorary Palme d’Or.

With the same enthusiasm, he continued to buy projects, never once resorting to the help of an adviser, always trusting his intuition. Arnaud Cornette de Saint-Cyr, Managing Director of Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris, commented: “It is easy to see how Alain Delon’s eye has ensured the quality of his collection. He was driven by his passion and unsurpassed insight.”