“Dame Edna Everage’s” art collection to go on display next year

Objects owned and collected by the Australian comedian Barry Humphries, aka Dame Edna Everage, will be displayed in London next year before being sold at auction.

Barry Humphries at home 202 (c) Tereza Erveova / Christie’s

Barry Humphries, far better known as Dame Edna Everage, was in private so much more than his alter ego personalities. He was a noted art collector who started collecting in his teens, and more than half a century later, he had built a collection of over 250 paintings.

Although most of the auction and accompanying exhibition will be of the art collection that’s now being put up for sale, there will also be objects from his work.

Highlights from Dame Edna Everage’s Personal Collection, including costume and ‘face furniture’ (glasses) and caricatures, will also be on display.

The full pre-sale exhibition will be on public view at Christie’s auction house on King Street near Trafalgar Square from 7th February to 12th February 2025.

The auction catalogue will be published here closer to the date.

Benedict Winter, Associate Director, Private & Iconic Collections, Christie’s London: “Barry Humphries is best remembered for his comedic genius, but behind this famous figure was a true polymath and connoisseur. His passion for collecting and his insatiable appetite for deepening his knowledge was the driving force behind the acquisition of these fascinating and very diverse works of art. This refined and engaging collection provides compelling insights into the private world of this very public performer. Wherever you are, I encourage you to browse online at Christies.com; we look forward to welcoming everyone to the free public view at our headquarters in London.”