It’s no secret that the owners of some of the most extraordinary art collections in the world are art dealers, which raises a question: How might one draw the line between true treasures of inventory vs. those of a personal collection? In an effort to sketch out such a line, ARTnews asked nine dealers—including mega-gallery familiars and a young upstart who raised brows when he bid on a Francis Bacon painting well beyond the $100 million point in an auction in 2013—a simple question: What is one piece from your personal holdings that you would never sell? — As told to Hilarie M. Sheets
"For almost twenty years, I’ve had the pleasure of living with Lucian Freud’s beautiful Sleeping Head from 1979-80. It has hung in our home since before my children were born, and I would never be able to part with it. It’s such an intimate and peaceful portrait, and I love how comfortable and at ease the model, Harriet, looks. Lucian had that effect on his models, they were somehow able to totally relax into themselves when they sat for him, even falling asleep! It is particularly special to me because of our family’s close relationship with Lucian, reminding me how lucky I am to have known and worked with him. Working with artists is one of the great things about being an art dealer. We all adored Lucian and he was one of my father’s closest friends. We miss his humor and mischief, wit and charm, but most of all, his love of art and painting." - Eleanor Acquavella