Colin Firth’s iconic wet shirt from Pride and Prejudice sells for an eye-watering amount
An iconic waterlogged shirt worn by Colin Firth in the 1995 drama Pride and Prejudice has sold for an eye-watering sum at auction.
Many will remember the scene where the actor, who played Fitzwilliam Darcy, walked through dripping wet fields after a dip in the lake.
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Oscar winner Firth starred opposite Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet in the TV series adaptation of the classic novel Pride and prejudices.
In a memorable scene where the shirt was front and centre, Miss Bennet was surprised to find Mr Darcy wet and not properly dressed when she visited him at his estate, Pemberley.
Firth’s costume was donated by a costume house founded by Oscar and Bafta-winning designer John Bright in 1965, Cosprop, to raise money for the arts education charity, The Bright Foundation.
The shirt sold at auction yesterday for a whopping £20,000, beating its estimate of £7,000 to £10,000.
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In total, the auction, organized by Kerry Taylor Auctions in London, raised £285,300.
Bright said: “My life’s work has been costume design for film, TV and theater and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to follow this path.
“It is my firm belief that art and creativity can build happier and healthier children and enable young people to reach their full potential.”
Other notable pieces sold at the auction include a vintage 1950s Christian Dior taffeta ball gown, worn by Madonna in 1996’s Evita, for £40,000, and Johnny Depp’s Sleepy Hollow costume for £24,000 .
There were also numerous other costumes on display worn by the likes of Julie Andrews, Jude Law, Tom Hardy, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judi Dench, Scarlett Johansson, Nicole Kidman, Keira Knightley, Daniel Radcliffe, Alan Rickman, Margot Robbie, Elizabeth Taylor and Renee Zellweger. .
A new batch of items has now been added to the online-only portion of the auction, which runs until March 10.
Hollywood actor Johnny Depp donated an original untitled work of art, dated 2023.
It is made with acrylic paint, Liquitex paint marker and fineliner and is signed.
He said: ‘Unfortunately, too many young, emerging artists do not have access to the right resources and opportunities needed to hone their craft.
“I hope my artwork will help provide those tools in a way that will best enable them to succeed.”
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