Fans of the late Gene Hackman will soon have a chance to own some of his most prized possessions.
Treasured items, including Hackman’s multiple Golden Globe awards and pricy modernist painting, are going on the auction block beginning in November.
The auctions come eight months after the acting icon’s tragic death in February at 95.
Hackman’s body was discovered on February 26, a week after he’s believed to have died, following the death of his wife Betsy Arakawa. The actor, who was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, remained alone in his home for nearly a week after his wife’s death.
The new auctions from Bonhams offer a grim reminder of the couple’s lonely deaths, as some of the items appear to have come from the home where his body remained undiscovered for days.
The sales come after it was revealed that his three children, who were cut out of his will, had Hackman buried in an unmarked grave in a secret ceremony.
Possessions belonging to the late Gene Hackman, who died in February at 95 after being left along with his dead wife’s body for days, are being auctioned off in November, Bonhams has announced; pictured in 2023 in Santa Fe, when he was 93
The auction annoucements come after it was revealed that his three children, who were cut out of his will, had Hackman buried in an unmarked grave in a secret ceremony; daughters Elizabeth Gene and Leslie Anne are seen eating at a Denny’s shortly after news of their fathers death broke in February
Hackman’s wife of 33 years, Betsy Arakawa, died at home days before Hackman from the hantavirus. They were buried side-by-side in an unmarked plot earlier this year; seen in 1991
According to Bonhams, a selection of Hackman’s possessions will be auctioned off in three separate sales, with one to be conducted live while the other two will be online auctions.
The auction is said to include three of the four Golden Globe Awards that Hackman won, including his best supporting actor win for Clint Eastwood’s Western classic Unforgiven, his best actor trophy for Wes Anderson’s dramedy The Royal Tenenbaums and a final honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award, which is given for ‘outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment.’
Along with Hackman’s Golden Globe for the Royal Tenenbaums, the auction includes a certificate for the honor, as well as letters congratulating Hackman sent by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.
Apparently missing from the collection is Hackman’s first Golden Globe for best actor, which he won for starring in William Friedkin’s iconic police thriller The French Connection (1971).
The actor was also awarded with Oscars for his roles in Unforgiven and The French Connection, though those prestigious honors are not part of the auction lots.
The auction will also feature particularly intimate possessions, including a wristwatch Hackman appears to have worn shortly before his death.
Two watches are going on auction, a Seiko stainless steel quartz diver’s wristwatch capable of going 200 meters below the surface, nicknamed the ‘Pepsi’ due to its red-and-blue bezel.
It is presented on a black rubber strap, along with a Seiko Prospex automatic diver’s watch that is strapless.
Hackman appears to have switched out the watches and worn his black Seiko Prospex with the rubber wristband when he was spotted on a rare outing at a Wendy’s in Santa Fe in March of 2023, when he was 93.
Among Hackman’s collection will be 13 works of art from American and modernist artists. The artwork includes pieces by Milton Avery, Auguste Rodin, and Richard Diebenkorn.
The auction is said to include three of the four Golden Globe Awards that Hackman won; seen in 2003 in Beverly Hills
They include his best supporting actor win for Clint Eastwood’s Western classic Unforgiven (pictured)
The auction also includes Hackman’s best actor trophy for Wes Anderson’s dramedy The Royal Tenenbaums (pictured) and a final honorary Cecil B. DeMille Award, which is given for ‘outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment’
The auction will also feature particularly intimate possessions, including a Seiko wristwatch Hackman appears to have worn shortly before his death. He appeared to wear the Seiko Prospex automatic diver’s watch (R) in 2023. It’s presented with a Seiko stainless steel quartz ‘Pepsi’ 200diver’s wristwatch
According to the auction house, Hackman had a lifelong passion for art, but he focused more on collection after retiring following his forgettable 2004 comedy Welcome To Mooseport.
Hackman, who reportedly focused on illustration and sculpting in his retirement years, also immersed himself in the study of art and the artists who most inspired him.
The Gene Hackman collection includes examples of ‘Post-War and Contemporary art, Western and Native American art, photography, and prints.’
Andrew Huber, Bonhams Head of 20th & 21st Century Art, US, said that Hackman’s art collection represents ‘prestigious works with impeccable provenance, further enriched by their association with one of the greatest actors of our time.
‘Hackman was not only a collector but an artist himself, and his approach to collecting mirrors the care, aesthetic sensibility, and discipline evident in his own artistic practice,’ Huber continued. ‘This is a collection shaped with extraordinary thoughtfulness and passion.’
Among the most anticipated artworks going on auction is the painting Figure On The Jetty by the American modernist artist Milton Avery (1885–1965). The painting, of a solitary person on a jetty looking out toward the sea, is estimated to fetch an impressive $500,000–$700,000.
Bonhams also highlighted the Richard Diebenkorn (1922–1993) color etching Green (1986), which could fetch between $300,000 and $500,000.
Hackman also owned another Diebenkorn etching, High Green, Version II, from 1992, which is estimated to sell for $70,000–$90,000.
The Gene Hackman collection includes examples of ‘Post-War and Contemporary art, Western and Native American art, photography, and prints.’ Bonhams highlighted the Richard Diebenkorn (1922–1993) color etching Green (1986), which could fetch $300,000–$500,000
Ida Rittenberg Kohlmeyer (1912–1997) is represented by Horizontal Rectangles 81-A, a quilted-like painting done in oil and charcoal in 1981. Bonham’s estimates a sale of $50,000–$70,000
Hackman was also immortalized in one of the paintings, a portrait by Everett Raymond Kinstler (1926–2019)
Ida Rittenberg Kohlmeyer (1912–1997) is represented by Horizontal Rectangles 81-A, a quilted-like painting done in oil and charcoal in 1981. Bonham’s estimates a sale of $50,000–$70,000.
The legendary French sculptor August Rodin (1840–1917) is represented by a large-scale bronze estimated to go for $200,000–$300,000.
Lesser works — that are nonetheless expected to sell for tens of thousands of dollars — include pieces by artists Frit Scholder (1937–2005), Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) and Robert Motherwell (1915–1991).
Hackman was also immortalized in one of the paintings, a portrait by Everett Raymond Kinstler (1926–2019).
Rounding out the collections is a dart board that resided in Hackman’s game room, which is estimated to sell for between $100 and $150.
The effort to auction off Hackman’s major possessions comes in the wake of the Daily Mail’s exclusive report that his estate had been hit with six figures of credit card debt.
In May, the Daily Mail revealed that Hackman’s three children — son Christopher, 65, and daughters Elizabeth Jean, 62, and Leslie Anne, 58 — had opted for a secret funeral for their father that even caught some cemetery workers unaware.
The Oscar winner was buried in an unmarked spot with his wife of 33 years, Betsy Arakawa, at his side.
Rounding out the collections is a dart board that resided in Hackman’s game room, which is estimated to sell for between $100 and $150
The effort to auction off Hackman’s major possessions comes in the wake of the Daily Mail’s exclusive report that his estate had been hit with six figures of credit card debt; seen in 1993
Due to Hackman’s Alzheimer’s disease, he didn’t call for help after his wife’s death and remained with Arakawa for around six days, until he died around February 18. Their bodies were discovered at home on February 26
Investigators determined that Arakawa died at home around February 12 from respiratory symptoms of the hantavirus, which is passed on through rodent droppings.
Hackman, who was in the throes of Alzeheimer’s, didn’t seek help and remained at home with his wife’s body and their three dogs until his death around February 18, which was determined by the final readings from his pacemaker.
Their bodies were discovered at home on February 26.
His cause of death was attributed to heart disease, along with complications from kidney disease and Alzheimer’s.
While two of the couple’s dogs were found alive on the property, one was discovered dead in its kennel, where it had apparently been left after Arakawa’s death.
