Jeffrey Archer, Novelist and Major Warhol Collector, Dies at 86
On 5 October 2023, Jeffrey Archer, the acclaimed author and former deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, passed away peacefully at his residence at the age of 86. In the late 1990s, he built one of the most significant private collections of Warhol artwork, starting with his first acquisition in 1991. His collection featured approximately 42 oils and acrylics, along with over 320 prints, with an estimated worth of £20m–£25m. Archer had begun collecting art two decades earlier, including pieces by Monet, Lowry, and Picasso. After Sotheby's auctioned 'Orange Marilyn' for £10.6m, he humorously remarked about being down to his last £100m. The portrait of Diana fetched £2,407,500 on 7 March 2024, setting a new record, while the portrait of Charles sold for £1,016,000 in October.
Key facts
- Jeffrey Archer died peacefully at home on 5 October at age 86.
- He owned one of the largest private Warhol collections in the late 1990s, with around 42 oils/acrylics and over 320 to 340 prints.
- His first Warhol was acquired in 1991, and he employed up to five researchers to build the collection.
- The collection included ten Marilyns, ten Maos, ten Campbell's soups, three Lenins, four Reagans, plus Jagger and Mickey Mouse, valued at about £20m–£25m.
- After Sotheby's sold 'Orange Marilyn' for £10.6m, Archer put works up for sale at a Bruton Street gallery, showing 65 pieces at a time.
- An exhibition of 83 signed Hockney prints from the artist's own stock, made between 1952 and 1996, ran alongside the sale.
- Christie's held The Jeffrey Archer Sale: Decades of Collecting on 28 June 2011.
- The Diana portrait sold at Phillips in London on 7 March 2024 for £2,407,500, setting a record for a Warhol depiction of the Princess; the Charles portrait sold in October that year for £1,016,000.
Entities
Artists
- Jeffrey Archer
- Andy Warhol
- David Hockney
- Claude Monet
- L.S. Lowry
- Pablo Picasso
- Princess Diana
- Prince Charles
Institutions
- Sotheby's
- Christie's
- Phillips
- Warhol Foundation
- Red Cross
- Artlyst
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- California
- Australia
- Bruton Street
- Thames
Sources
- Artlyst —