Mario Testino's private collection to be auctioned at Sotheby's London

Mario Testino is auctioning 400 works from his private collection at Sotheby's London in September 2017, aiming to raise £8 million for MATE, his contemporary art museum in Lima, Peru. The collection includes pieces by Wolfgang Tillmans, Nan Goldin, Gilbert & George, Richard Prince, and Sterling Ruby (estimated at £600,000–£800,000), plus a rare portrait of Vivien Leigh by Angus McBean. Testino, born in Peru to an Italian father and Irish mother, moved to London in the 1970s, starting his fashion photography career at £25 per shoot. He rose to fame through collaborations with Vogue and portraits of Madonna and Princess Diana, and helped define the fashion system with campaigns for top couture houses and iconic images of models like Kate Moss. The auctioned works, acquired since the 1980s for his London studio and LA residence, span photography and painting, selected as "a document of my time." Proceeds support MATE, a nonprofit space opened in 2013 offering temporary exhibitions, permanent displays of Testino's work, film screenings, workshops, and educational activities to promote local culture.