Alain Delon's Rembrandt Bugatti Collection Heads to Christie's Paris

Christie's Paris will auction 17 lots of Rembrandt Bugatti sculptures on November 22, 2016, including 13 bronzes from actor Alain Delon's personal collection. Highlights include two large leopards from 1913 (estimated €500,000–700,000), an African elephant chosen by Ettore Bugatti as the mascot for the Bugatti Royale, and three gazelles from 1904. Delon, a longtime admirer of the sculptor, decided to consign works to commemorate the centenary of Bugatti's death. The actor discovered Bugatti alongside expert Véronique Fromanger and friend Alain Lesieutre, and has collected his works for nearly 50 years. Rembrandt Bugatti, a Milanese sculptor who worked in Paris and Antwerp, was the younger brother of Ettore Bugatti. He died by suicide at age 32 after suffering from depression, a condition Delon also experienced in his youth. The auction coincides with other celebrity sales: David Bowie's collection at Sotheby's on November 10–11, and Eric Clapton's sale of a Gerhard Richter work estimated at $20 million at Christie's New York on November 15.