Fasten your seat belts for the Pierre Bergé sale this October. Described as “a passionate and voracious collector” by Madison Cox – Bergé’s widower – the businessman was as legendary for his taste as he was for his sharp tongue, fierce feuds and quick wit. The sale will consist of 800 lots taken from what Cox terms “rue Bonaparte and other homes that made up Pierre’s private universe”. Featuring exceptional pieces by Jean-Michel Frank, Francois-Xavier Lalanne and Pablo Picasso, as well as paintings by Bernard Buffet, Jean-Baptiste Debret and Jean-Jules-Antoine Lecomte de Nouÿ, it promises to be as eclectic and exciting as the man himself. Short, powerful and pugnacious, the Savile Row-clad Frenchman was ever aware of his reputation, claiming, “people may hate or love me, but they all want to brag that they once sat next to me.”