Stunning portraits of golden age Hollywood legends go on sale after quietly hanging in hotel for decades

Stunning portraits of Hollywood’s golden age legends that hung quietly in a hotel for decades are now up for sale.

The eye-catching artworks feature some of the biggest stars of the silver screen, including Vivien Leigh, Joan Crawford, Leslie Howard, Errol Flynn, Spencer Tracy, Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner.

The pieces were created by artist Boris Smirnoff, who captured some of the most famous faces in cinema and theatre during a time when celebrity culture was first taking shape.

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Smirnoff mixed with the rich and famous while working as a figurative painter in the south of France, often befriending the stars he painted.

His works are said to date back to an era when film was transforming global fame, offering a rare glimpse into the personalities who ruled the stage and screen in the 1930s.

All of the portraits come from the Vineyard Hotel in Newbury, Berkshire, where they formed part of the venue’s art collection for years.

The collection also tells the remarkable story of Smirnoff’s own life, as reported by Whats The Jam.

After fleeing revolutionary Russia, he rebuilt his life in France and became part of Europe’s cultural elite.

Arriving in 1927, after his family escaped political unrest, he produced a huge body of work in oils and pastels.

He developed a distinctive style, blending modernist ideas with a delicate touch for portraiture.

Smirnoff later settled in Haut-de-Cagnes near Cannes, where he became known as a colourful local character.

Living a bohemian lifestyle, he would often swap his paintings for food and supplies.

Each year, he would embark on long cruises, buying the cheapest ticket before setting up his easel in first class, sketching wealthy passengers and gaining new patrons.

Many of those admirers went on to become subjects in his work, including Hollywood stars Errol Flynn and Rita Hayworth, both of whom feature in the sale.

One standout piece is a portrait of Vivien Leigh, the legendary actress who shot to fame in Gone with the Wind.

Smirnoff captured her in pencil and pastel with striking elegance, highlighting the features that made her a true screen icon.

There is also a portrait of Leslie Howard, one of Britain’s biggest stars of the 1930s and a major box office draw.

He starred in both British and Hollywood films, earning Academy Award nominations for best actor in Berkeley Square and Pygmalion, and is best remembered as Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind.

Fans will also spot a portrait of Hollywood beauty Ava Gardner, created in pencil and pastel.

Expert Adrian Biddell hailed the collection as a fascinating slice of history.

He said: “What makes this group so compelling is that it sits at the intersection of art history and cultural history.

“Smirnoff was not simply depicting famous faces from afar, he was moving within the same social circles, meeting actors, writers and public figures during a period when cinema was beginning to shape modern celebrity.

“These portraits feel immediate and personal, often made quickly in pencil or pastel, yet they capture something unmistakable about the sitter.

“They also reflect Smirnoff’s own extraordinary life story, from revolutionary Russia to the cafés and studios of France and the glamorous circles of the Côte d’Azur.

“Taken together, the works offer a fascinating glimpse into the world of film and theatre’s Golden Age, seen through the eyes of an artist who translated that world onto paper in a truly unique way.”

Smirnoff’s circle also included major historical figures, with the artist even sketching Winston Churchill during a visit to the Côte d’Azur.

Today, his works can be found in museum collections in Haut-de-Cagnes, Grenoble, Moscow and Prague.

The portraits are now being offered in an online auction at Olympia Auctions, with bidding open until March 22.

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