Connery’s Picasso fetches £18million

A PICASSO painting owned by Sir Sean Connery has sold for £17.7million at auction.

The late James Bond star’s family put the artwork up for sale to raise funds for the Sean Connery Philanthropic Fund.

It will donate money to good causes in Scotland and the Bahamas, where the star lived with his wife Micheline for more than 30 years. Edinburgh-born Sir Sean had a discerning eye and bought Buste d’homme dans un cadre a few years before his death aged 90 in October 2020.

The 1969 painting was sold in Hong Kong yesterday by auction house Christie’s. Auctioneer Georgina Hilton wore a Bondstyle tuxedo in tribute to 007 and described the painting as ‘sensational’.

The bidding started at £10million and received five offers before attracting a final price of £17.7million, including the buyer’s premium.