Peter Simon, the founder of the Monsoon and Accessorize retail brands, is set to sell a substantial portion of his personal art collection in a high-profile auction at Christie’s in London. The collection, valued at up to £126 million, includes nearly 200 works by prominent modern and contemporary artists such as Francis Bacon, Piet Mondrian, Joan Miró, Andy Warhol, Pablo Picasso, and Hurvin Anderson.

Christie’s described the assemblage as one of Britain’s leading collections in modern and contemporary art. The auction is expected to mark the highest-value sale of a single-owner collection ever held at the London auction house. Estimates for the collection’s total worth range from £86.5 million to £126.7 million.

Among the highlights are two paintings by Francis Bacon representing distinct phases of his career: “Figure in Movement” (1978), with an estimated price between £14 million and £18 million, and “Study for a Figure” (circa 1945), expected to fetch between £4 million and £6 million.

Simon, who began his retail journey selling woollen coats from a stall on Portobello Road in west London during the 1970s, spoke about the deep connection between his artistic interests and his fashion business. He noted that early in Monsoon’s development, he worked closely with designers to select artwork that could be adapted into textile patterns, emphasizing that colors and prints have been central to the brand’s identity. Reflecting on the sale, Simon said it would be gratifying to offer part of his collection to others while enabling himself to embrace new creative directions.

The collection will be exhibited at Christie’s London from September 26 to October 1 before being offered for sale online from October 1 through October 20. The auction features both an evening sale on October 14 and a day sale on October 15.