A Frank Auerbach painting owned by David Bowie was a highlight of an auction of the singer’s works last night, which raised millions of pounds more than expected.
Auerbach’s painting Head of Gerda Boehm was sold for £3.8 million, having been estimated to fetch a maximum of £500,000. The musician had said upon seeing it that he wanted “to sound like that looks”. The price was a record at auction for the artist.
The sale at Sothebys, which is the first of three being held to sell numerous works from Bowie’s vast collection, raised £24.3 million, more than double the estimate.
Frank Auerbach’s Head of Gerda Boehn fetched £3.8 million
DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/GETTY IMAGES
The sale was notable for the high prices achieved for the British artists Bowie had shown an interest in long before they were championed