Sean Connery’s estate is selling a valuable Picasso painting from the star’s collection to set up a philanthropic fund to support Scottish charities in his memory.

The painting by the Spanish artist, called Buste d’homme dans un cadre, is being sold next month in Hong Kong by auction house Christies and aims to fetch around £15m.

The money will be used to set up a fund to support charities in Scotland, where the James Bond actor was born, as well as the Bahamas, where he lived for more than three decades.

Connery’s son Stephane says that before his father passed away in 2020 he had “allocated a sizable portion of his estate to be used for philanthropic purposes”.

“We — his family — are now working to create a fund that will offer support to organisations that reflect Sean’s interests and passions, and serve to keep his legacy of integrity, opportunity and effectiveness alive,” he added.

“These efforts will be focused in Scotland, where Sean was born, and the Bahamas, where he lived for over 30 years and adored like his homeland.”

Christie’s co-chairman of impressionist and modern art Adrien Meyer said the painting “is simply one of the best works by the artist of his late period to ever come to market”.

He added: “It is a privilege for Christie’s to have been entrusted by the family of Sir Sean Connery with the sale of this fabulous Picasso self-portrait. No wonder is it that a titan of the film industry was drawn to this tour de force by the greatest modern art titan of all.”

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