Three art works from Liz Taylor collection snag $21.8M

LONDON (AP) -- Three top works from the late Hollywood star Elizabeth Taylor's art collection have sold at a London auction for nearly $22 million, the auctioneer Christie's said Tuesday.

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The lot's biggest-selling item was Van Gogh's "Vue de l'asile de la Chapelle de Remy," which used to hang in the living room of Taylor's Bel Air home. The tan-and-turquoise landscape was sold for more than nearly $16 million to an anonymous telephone bidder.

The two other pieces, a self-portrait by Edgar Degas and a landscape by Claude Pissarro, sold earlier in the evening.

Marc Porter, chairman of Christie's Americas, called the works the "crown jewel" of the showbiz legend's collection, and he said in a statement that the auctioneer hoped for more positive results when it offered the rest of Taylor's art collection Wednesday.

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Taylor died in March at age 79, and Christie's has been selling off her possessions piecemeal.

Last month, the auctioneer sold a 17th-century portrait that once hung over Taylor's fireplace for $2 million. In December, Christie's sold her collection of jewelry, fashion and memorabilia for well over $100 million, including $8.8 million for a diamond ring given to her by Richard Burton, whom she married twice.

Prices include the buyer's premium.

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