David Bowie’s art auction took £24.3 million in the first day.
The late ‘Starman’ hitmaker – who died in January this year aged 69 from cancer – has had 47 pieces of artwork he owned sold for more than double the pre-sale estimate at London’s Sotheby’s on Thursday (10.11.16), according to BBC News.
The masterpiece in the collection with the most expensive price tag was Jean Michel Basquiat’s Air Power, which was initially valued at £3.5 million, was snapped up for £7.1 million, whilst the late British painter Frank Auerbach’s Head of Gerda Boehm reached £3.8 million.
David – who studied art, music and design when he was younger and began to collect pieces of art at the age of 21 – admitted he wanted his songs to sound like the portrait of Frank’s cousin.
Speaking previously about the design, he said: "I want to sound like that looks."
Despite boasting a successful career at the helm of the music industry spanning over five decades, he has made it known art was one of his major obsessions.
Speaking previously he said: "The only thing I buy obsessively and addictively is art."
Other pieces that went under the hammer in yesterday’s bidding bonanza included Marcel Duchamp’s With Hidden Noise structure, which is also known as A Bruit Secret, the Beautiful, hallo, space-boy painting by Damien Hirst with Bowie and Henry Moore’s Family Group portrait.
It has been reported the auction was set up by the music legend’s family, although they have vowed to keep hold of the creations they knew the ‘Labyrinth’ actor was most fond of and were of "particular significance" to Bowie.
The auction is set to add a further 309 pieces to the collection during Friday’s sale and all proceeds will go back to his estate.
David Bowie’s art auction takes £24.3 million in the first day
