In 1820 poet John Keats was fatally ill with consumption, which precluded even the slightest contact with his fiancé Fanny Brawne. A rare and moving love letter he wrote to her at the time, expressing his yearning for her, will headline Bonhams’ auction of the Roy Davids Collection of Papers and Portraits on March 29 in London, where it’s estimated at $126-$190,000.
The Davids collection features more than 500 manuscripts and portraits, Other highlights are rare letters from Sir Walter Ralegh and explorer David Livingstone, as well as an essay by William Blake. Bonhams calls the sale the finest of its kind in 40 years.
Read more at Bonhams.
