One of London’s Most Exclusive Members’ Clubs Is Auctioning Off Its World-Class Art Collection for Charity
If you like the decor at George in London, you can now recreate it across the pond.
The swanky members-only club is auctioning off the blue-chip art that it has amassed over the past two decades in a charity sale at Christie’s next month. George: Twenty Years in Mayfair, which will run online from March 14 to 28, comprises 71 lots that run the gamut from contemporary British works to post-war masterpieces.
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Since opening in 2001, George has become a go-to for the city’s movers and shakers. The Mayfair hot spot, owned by billionaire nightclub and restaurant entrepreneur Richard Caring of Ivy and Sexy Fish fame, has garnered a reputation for its evocative atmosphere and extensive art collection.
Some of the auction standouts include Tracey Emin’s blue and white neon I’m a Rare Bear (estimate: $84,000 to $120,000) and a 1914 ski-themed lithograph by Burkhard Mangold (estimate: $12,000 to $18,000). Other highlights include prints by David Hockney, travel posters by Emil Cardinaux, photographs by Slim Aarons and drawings by Ernest Howard Shepard.
There are more sentimental pieces, too, such as the Dachshund linocut that was designed for George by Hugo Guinness (estimate: $360 to $600). The piece actually inspired the pup-friendly club’s logo.
George has been temporarily closed for refurbishment but will reopen this summer with a fresh new feel and the largest terrace in Mayfair. George 2.0 will, of course, still have incredible art.
“Patricia (Caring) and I have worked long and hard to create what, we hope, will be a beautiful site for George, which should now be the image and impression that it truly deserves,” Caring said in a statement.
The art auction is for a good cause, too. The proceeds from the sale will go to the Caring Family Foundation.
“The money raised will go towards our continued efforts to tackle domestic abuse, child poverty and reforestation in the UK and Brazil, with our core focus remaining on women and children across these areas,” Caring adds.
You can check out the full catalog online.
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