Streisand Auctions Art Collection for Charity

Barbra Streisand will give some of her prized possessions away in a Beverly Hills charity auction on Saturday and Sunday, featuring hundreds of pieces of furniture, art, clothes and other belongings. Up for auction is a highly-valued painting believed to be from Dutch artist Kees van Dongen worth up to $200,000 and more keepsake items like a gold painted wooden “A” that Streisand kept in her kitchen to signify her decision 40 years ago to drop the letter from her first name. The items up for auction are reportedly worth $600,000, but should sell for more due to their prominent previous owner. “A lot of these items are very difficult for her to part with,” said Darren Julien, the auctioneer handling the sale, who notes Streisand is selling them because they do not fit in with her redesigned home in Malibu. All proceeds from the auction will go to The Streisand Foundation, which benefits several causes including the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Human Rights Watch.