LONDON.- Christie’s announced the online charity sale George: Twenty Years in Mayfair, benefitting The Caring Family Foundation, which has been open for browsing online since March 7th and now open for bidding from 14-28 March. Conjuring the evocative atmosphere of this much loved London private members’ club which has been at the heart of Mayfair life for the last 20 years, the sale comprises 71 lots focused entirely on the works that adorned the walls, spanning Modern British art, Prints, Posters, Post-War and Photography. The collection is led by Tracey Emin’s unique blue and white neon I’m a Rare Bear, 2014 which was previously auctioned for charity at Christie's by Emin herself (estimate: £70,000-100,000). Further highlights include the original Dachshund linocut designed for George by Hugo Guinness, which became the club’s much loved logo (estimate: £300-500), a notable array of prints and exhibition posters by David Hockney, ski and travel posters by Emil Cardinaux, photographs by Slim Aarons and drawings by Ernest Howard Shepard, the acclaimed illustrator of Winnie the Pooh. A celebration of George, the sale comes ahead of the club re-opening in Summer 2023 having been temporarily closed for refurbishment.

Richard Caring said: “Patricia (Caring) and I have worked long and hard to create what, we hope, will be a beautiful site for George, which should now be the image and impression that it truly deserves. Some of the most spectacular paintings, drawings and decorations from George have been taken down and put into this auction with all proceeds going to The Caring Family Foundation. The money raised will go towards our continued efforts to tackle domestic abuse, child poverty and reforestation in the UK and Brazil, with our core focus remaining on women and children across these areas."

The Earl of Snowdon, Honorary Chairman, Christie’s EMEA, said: “Christie’s is delighted to offer works of art which adorned the walls of George Club in the heart of Mayfair. From Tracey Emin’s neon ‘I’m a rare bear’ to the extensive collection of David Hockney prints and posters, these works will all be sold to benefit the brilliant Caring Family Foundation which works towards alleviating child hunger, domestic abuse and deforestation.”

Presenting different print making techniques from etchings and linocuts to woodcuts and mezzotints spanning a broad array of subject matter works include from left to right: fourteen etchings by David Hockney of his delightful Dog Wall series, offered individually (estimates £3,000-5,000 each) a detail of one plate illustrated above; a linocut set of four botanical studies (estimate: £800-1,200) and The George Club Mascot by Hugo Guinness which is shown in the context of the George logo on page 1 (estimate: £300-500); and State Security, a woodcut, signed and dated in pencil by Nicholas Garland (B. 1935) (estimate: £150-250).

The posters from the club provide a visual feast in their own right. Early travel and ski posters are led by Winter in Davos, a lithograph from 1914, by Burkhard Mangold (1873-1950) (estimate: £10,000-15,000) and L'Hiver en Suisse, a lithograph from 1921 by Emil Cardinaux (1877-1936) (estimate: £8,000-12,000).

Exhibition posters feature a wide array after David Hockney including, from left to right: David Hockney a Retrospective, Los Angeles County Museum Art, 1988, signed in black ink, offset lithographic poster (estimate: £600-800); Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games, signed in black ink, offset lithographic poster, (estimate: £1,000-1,500); and David Hockney: A Retrospective, The Metropolitan Museum of Art June 18 to August 14, 1988, offset lithographic poster (estimate: £400-600).

Drawing and photographs include, from left to right: Ernest Howard Shepard, O.B.E., M.C. (1879-1976), A circus scene, signed 'Ernest H. Shepard (lower left) and inscribed 'reproduced in Punch Jan 3rd 1934' (lower right), black ink heightened with white (estimate: £500-800); Neil Forster (1940 - 2016), Study for a chimpanzee, pencil on paper (estimate: £400-600); gelatin silver prints: Groucho Marx by Slim Aarons (1916–2006) (estimate: £800-1,200) and The Kings of Hollywood attributed to Slim Aarons (estimate: £800-1,200).