PREVIEW

Guillermo del Toro is selling off part of the contents of 'Bleak House', his private museum of fantasy and horror artefacts, props, and artwork. The sale has been prompted by the Los Angeles wildfires and the prospect it could be wiped out if kept together. He says: “I have collected for decades. I believe that collecting is not owning. Collecting is protecting, a sacred duty, being a keeper of a flame, an acolyte. “This predicament has made me aware of the impossible size of the collection and the responsibility to share this meticulously curated treasure trove with others who might accept the vow to save these pieces of culture and beauty for the generations that follow.” His collection was the subject of a blockbuster travelling exhibition in 2017 and will now, for the first time, be partially offered at auction by Heritage Auctions on 26 September. Among the highlights are original maquettes of Amphibian Man from The Shape of Water, early concept art from Cronos and Pan's Labyrinth, and screen-used props from Hellboy and Pacific Rim. “I offer a careful, thoughtful selection of pieces that encompass not only most of my filmography, but can be arranged into a full corner of Bleak House,” del Toro reveals. Other lots include Mike Mignola's original cover art for Clive Barker's Hellraiser #2 (1990), Bernie Wrightson's illustrations for Frankenstein, and Hellboy's screen-used leather duster.