Actor Russell Crowe sells film memorabilia and more in ‘divorce’ auction at Sotheby’s Australia

Russell Crowe will sell 223 items from his collection at Sotheby’s Australia on April 8

• Frances Allitt
  
• 27 Feb 2018

The auction follows the Oscar-winning Australian actor’s spilit from wife Danielle Spencer, which was reported to have been finalised December of last year.

“Divorce has its way of making you really examine the things that are essential in life and the things that are not,” Crowe said. “In the spirit of moving forward into fresh air, here’s a portion of that collection of stuff.”

The sale date of April 7 marks both his birthday and his wedding anniversary with his now ex-wife.

“May others now enjoy my stuff,” he added.

Among the highlights is the violin he used in the role of captain Jack Aubrey for the 2003 film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. Created in 1890 by Milanese maker Leandro Bisiach (1864-1946) the instrument is maple with a varnish of orange-brown. It is offered with a Baroque-style bow of modern manufacture.

This violin by Leandro Bisiach Snr (1864‐1946) was used by Russell Crowe as the character, Captain Jack Aubrey in the film, Master and Commander (2003). The instrument was made in Milan, 1890. It has an estimate of Aus$110,000‐140,000 at Russell Crowe: The Art of Divorce at Sotheby’s Australia on April 8.

Crowe said that when shooting commenced on the film, which takes place on board a Royal Navy ship during the Napoleonic Wars, he was originally given a heavy, dark German instrument.

“It was my thought that the Captain, as gruff as he may be, would play a finer instrument,” he said and he asked a friend of his from the Australian Chamber Orchestra to find him something more suitable. “Though it was a later piece than the time period of the movie, the fact that it was in the style of Guarneri meant that it was a shape and style that the captain could have purchased,” Crowe added.

It is estimated at Aus$110,000-140,000.

At the sale are his captain’s costume (est Aus$25,000-35,000) the stunt cuirass he wore as Maximus in the 2000 film Gladiator (est Aus$20,000-30,000) and a fully functioning replica Roman chariot, also from Gladiator.

Also on offer are a number of Australian artworks such as The Suitor (1960) by Charles Blackman (est Aus$180,000-220,000) and Brett Whiteley’s 1974 Moreton Bay Fig and Palms (est Aus$100,000-150,000).

The 223-lot auction is estimated at Aus$2.6m-3.7m

Meanwhile, Spencer has consigned jewellery from her personal collection to the sale, all pieces that were given to her by Crowe. The two were married in 2003 and separated around five years ago.