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Art & Culture

Treasures from Joan Didion’s Estate Are Coming to Auction

The sale in November will feature the late author’s collection of fine art, including works by Ed Ruscha, Richard Diebenkorn, and Jennifer Bartlett

By Shelby Black
Woman standing with a cigarette, while a man sits on a sofa holding a child in a living room with large windows in the background.
Joan Didion pictured with John Gregory Dunne, who died in 2003, and their daughter, Quintana Roo Dunne, who died a year and a half later. Photo: Julian Wasser / Netflix

A master in melancholy and one of the world’s most beloved cultural critics, author Joan Didion, who passed away last December, will be immortalized in a one-of-a-kind sale taking place at Stair Galleries in Hudson, New York. Numerous treasures from the bicoastal writer’s famed Upper East Side residence will hit the auction block beginning in November.

Wooden desk with stacks of books, a potted orchid, and framed artwork in a well-lit room.
Auction items include books owned by Didion as well as a large partner’s desk from California. Photo: Courtesy of Stair Galleries

“We are thrilled to be offering property from the collection of Joan Didion at auction. It is an honor to be in the home where one of America’s great writers lived and worked, and to curate a sale of her fine art and personal property,” Colin Stair, President of Stair, said in a statement.

An eclectic collection of shells, lamps, and art objects arranged on a marble mantel above a landscape painting.
An assortment of decor in Didion’s Upper East Side apartment. Photo: Courtesy of Stair Galleries

Titled “An American Icon: Property from the Collection of Joan Didion,” the trove up for auction includes personal books owned by Didion as well as artworks and decor from artists such as Ed Ruscha, Richard Diebenkorn, Jennifer Bartlett, Brice Marden, Sam Francis, Vija Celmins, Patti Smith, and Eric Fischl. Additionally, intimate photographs of the author taken by notable talents such as Brigitte Lacombe, Annie Liebovitz, Mary Ellen Mark, and Julian Wasser will also be available at the event.

Assorted books and objects, including stones, boxes, and ornaments, arranged on a tabletop with a circular tray in the center.
An assortment of books and decor in Didion’s Upper East Side apartment. Photo: Courtesy of Stair Galleries

The official catalogue of items will be available on Stair Galleries’ website on October 31, but notable furnishings include a stunning American writing desk, Late Regency Pembroke table, as well as a variety of silver and porcelain collectibles purchased by the writer and her late husband, John Dunne, on their numerous travels. A rare chance to own a piece of Didion’s personal world, the auction is bound to be one of the fall’s most popular sales.

“An American Icon: Property from the Collection of Joan Didion” opens on November 16, 2022 at 11am.