Bought for four euros, auctioned for 70,000 euros: a painting by the deceased musician David Bowie, discovered by chance in a donation center, exceeded the estimated value many times over at an auction in Canada. The auction house Cowley Abbott announced that the more than 100,000 Canadian dollars were around ten times as much as expected in advance. The painting had previously been valued at up to 12,000 Canadian dollars.
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The online auction received more than 50 bids from all over the world. The work was bought by a private collector from the USA, whose name the auction house initially did not disclose.
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A person who wanted to remain anonymous had previously found the painting in a donation center for household items in the village of South River north of the metropolis of Toronto. According to the auction house, the person was initially unaware of who might have painted the picture. She just really liked the work of art, which is only 24 by 20 centimeters in size and shows a pale figure with blue-green and red hair. That’s why she bought it for the equivalent of four euros. The person then discovered a signature on the back that reminded them of Bowie. You then turned to the auction house in Toronto.
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Painting probably dates from the nineties
The auction house said it was possible to confirm the authenticity of the work together with specialists. Bowie, who was born in London and who repeatedly occupied himself with painting in addition to music, probably made the painting in the mid-1990s. During this time, Bowie painted various portraits of himself, his friends and others.
“We were very excited when we discovered that the work of art was original and genuine,” auctioneer Rob Cowley told the AFP news agency. Bowie had once attended art school and was a passionate collector himself. His estate of around 350 works brought in several million dollars after his death in January 2016. Bowie’s own artwork, however, is rarely for sale, according to Cowley.
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