American sales attract stars of big and small screen

The 20th-century American art collection assembled by David and Peggy Rockefeller was one of the highlights of Christie’s recent Rockefeller sales in New York, contributing over $100 million (£74 million) to the proceeds. This week’s American art sale at Sotheby’s does its best to compete, with consignments from two stars of stage and screen – the comedy actor Steve Martin and soap star

Patrick Duffy, better known as Bobby Ewing, the nicer, younger brother of the ruthless JR in the hugely popular Eighties TV series Dallas. Duffy’s wife, Carlyn, sadly died last year and he is selling a number of works by artists whom the Rockefellers also collected, including Milton Avery, Andrew and Jamie Wyeth, and Charles Burchfield.