Telegraph | Arts | Art sales: Sophia Loren's slice of Bacon

How surreal - Sophia Loren and Francis Bacon, together a somewhat abstract combination.

Both equally splendid.

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Art sales: Sophia Loren's slice of Bacon
Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 30/01/2007
Colin Gleadell reports on the New York sales

Francis Bacon in St IvesActress Sophia Loren is about to make as big an impact on the art market as she did on the silver screen: next week she will sell Francis Bacon's 1956 painting Study for Portrait II, from his series of pictures influenced by Velázquez's portrait of Pope Innocent X.

Contemporary treasure: Francis Bacon's Study for Portrait II

The painting is among more than £400 million of Impressionist, modern and contemporary art that goes on view in London tomorrow before being auctioned next week, and is estimated to sell for £12 million.

Sadly for Christie's, Loren had declined to be named, but my research unearthed her identity. What a field day the publicity department could have had.

Loren's ownership is inextricably tied up with the fascinating but little-known collection of her husband Carlo Ponti, the producer of Doctor Zhivago and Blow Up, who died just days after Christie's announced the sale earlier this month.

Christie's has described the picture as "the most important work from Bacon's 'Pope' series to appear on the market".


Telegraph Arts Art sales: Sophia Loren's slice of Bacon