Australia’s museums receive a “lifeline” while Alain Delon’s collection heads to auction

Actor Alain Delon, an iconic figure in the history of 1960s art cinema, is set to sell his collection at Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr in Paris, Barrons reports. In total, eighty works will be sold for a total amount of 4.4 to 5.5 million dollars. Among the paintings, there are an oil painting by Raoul Dufy and a portrait by Eugene Delacroix.

This is not the first time that Delon has sold works of art from his funds. He had previously parted ways with some contemporary art in 2007, saying at the time: “I bought for passion, not for investment.”

Australian museums should get what The Guardian calls a “lifeline”. The funding package will be $535 million from the government, which will support collection institutions across the country. The National Gallery of Australia, the National Library of Australia and the National Museum of Australia will benefit from recent financial shortfalls.

Anthony Albanese, Prime Minister of Australia, said he is committed to preserving, protecting and celebrating these institutions. According to ABC News, the National Gallery of Victoria has released the entry list for the NGV Triennial, which this year will feature robot dogs Boston Dynamic (courtesy of Agnieszka Pilat), Yoko Ono, Tracey Emin and more.