Marcel Marceau auction raises $680,000By AFPA court-ordered auction for the belongings of legendary French mime artist Marcel Marceau has fetched 490,000 euros (680,000 dollars) as bidders bought the suit and top hat of his iconic silent clown Bip. The suit was sold for 5,717 euros while the hat adorned with a red flower fetched 3,201 euros during the two-day auction that ended on Wednesday at the Hotel Drouot in Paris. Marceau left behind several debts when he died at the age of 84 in September 2007, leading to a court decision to order the auction. The first day of the auction netted nearly 245,000 euros as bidders picked up paintings and old books. A painting by Andre Quellier, titled "Bip, the masks," was sold for 20,583 euros. Several paintings drawn by Marceau were bought for 6,861 euros by the French National Library's arts and entertainment department. A notebook used by the mime to take notes and several manuscripts were picked up for 2,972 euros. Many items were bought by a group called A Museum for Bip, which wants to create a cultural facility dedicated to the miming art in France.  Most Popular |
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