Refined tastes of celebrated comedian unveiled at Christie's in London

Charles Conder - Sand Dunes, Ambleteuse from the collection of Barry Humphries

The refined and engaging collection of Barry Humphries (1934-2023) - best known for his characters Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson - comes up at Christie's in London on February 13. Driven by knowledge, passion and curiosity his collection was built over more than half a century.

Sand Dunes, Ambleteuse by the Australian painter Charles Conder leads an auction of 250 lots with estimates from £200 to £300,000 (€240 to €360,000). The best of fin-de-siecle decadent literature features a collection of Oscar Wilde related material including a presentation copy of The Importance of Being Earnest. There is a selection of 19th-century European and Symbolist art with work by Khnopff, Delville and von Stuck. These feature along with examples of Impressionism and modern British art, Modern Design and highlights from Dame Edna's personal collection from costume and glasses to caricatures.