Christie's Will Sell YSL's Art Collection

Christie's International said it will be selling the art collection of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in Paris in February 2009.

The auction will be held in association with Pierre Bergé & Associates, the Paris auction house owned by the fashion designer's former business partner, Christie's said Wednesday in an e-mailed statement.

The specific date and contents of the sale have yet to be announced, London-based Christie's said.

Saint Laurent died last month, aged 71. He and Mr. Bergé, who co-founded the Yves Saint Laurent couture house in 1961, amassed a collection of artworks that is believed to be worth as much as $599 million, according to the Art Newspaper.

The newspaper said that their collection features works by a range of contemporary artists and old masters that includes Picasso, Warhol, Mondrian, Matisse, and Goya.