{"id":11623,"date":"2016-11-11T12:18:14","date_gmt":"2016-11-11T12:18:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=11623"},"modified":"2016-11-11T12:18:14","modified_gmt":"2016-11-11T12:18:14","slug":"david-bowie-sothebys-auction-sets-record","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/david-bowie-sothebys-auction-sets-record\/","title":{"rendered":"Bowie auction sets Sotheby’s record"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0late singer’s private art collection was auctioned at Sotheby’s New Bond Street\u00a0today, bringing together hundreds of people and millions of pounds.<\/h3>\n

Reporter: Cecilia Peruzzi | Sub-Editor: Sarah Louhichi<\/h3>\n
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Last night’s auction of Air Power<\/em> by Jean-Michel Basquiat | (Sotheby’s)<\/p><\/div>\n

Following the death of one of the greatest cultural figures of our time in January, Bowie’s estate spent months collaborating with Sotheby’s to put the singer’s art collection on sale.<\/p>\n

The collection includes over 350 works, ranging from 16th century Venetian altar pieces to contemporary ceramics and design products.<\/p>\n

To reward them for their collaboration, all proceeds will go to the Bowie Estate. The collection was open to all through an exhibition at Sotheby’s New Bond Street from 1-10 November.<\/p>\n

Last night, the first part of the collection\u00a0went\u00a0under the hammer. 47 pieces, including\u00a0key works by Marcel Duchamp, Damien Hirst, Frank Auerbach and Jacopo Robusti, helped the sale far exceed expectations.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0estimate\u00a0of\u00a0\u00a38.1-11.7 million\u00a0was smashed with the final\u00a0total coming in at \u00a324.3 million.<\/p>\n

The key piece of the collection was Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Air Power<\/em>, acquired by Bowie during a sale at Christie’s London on 30 November 1995.<\/p>\n

Estimated at \u00a32.5-3.5 million, the painting set the record as the highest-selling piece in the collection, fetching\u00a0\u00a37.09 million.<\/p>\n

As the piece went under the hammer, the room\u00a0was held in suspense as\u00a0one anonymous bidder called his wife asking if he could bid higher than \u00a35.5 million for the painting.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately\u00a0his\u00a0final bid, an eye-watering\u00a0\u00a35.8 million, was unsuccessful.<\/p>\n

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Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Air Power<\/em> | (Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Another of the collection’s acclaimed pieces was the result of Damien Hirst’s collaboration with Bowie himself.<\/p>\n

Beautiful, Hallo, Space-Boy Painting<\/em>, executed in 1995, portrays\u00a0the astronaut character Major Tom, a recurring presence in Bowie’s songs.<\/p>\n

Estimated to fetch \u00a3250,000-\u00a3350,000, the work finally sold for \u00a3785,000, more than double its value.<\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/media.gettyimages.com\/photos\/gallery-assistants-pose-with-beautiful-hallo-spaceboy-painting-by-picture-id619817572?s=594x594\"

Beautiful, Hallo, Space-Boy Painting<\/em> | (Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Bowie, who was on the editorial board of Modern Painters magazine during the 1990s, was always open about his love for art and emerging artists.<\/p>\n

Simon Hucker, senior specialist in modern and post-war British art at Sotheby’s,\u00a0revealed that the singer\u00a0used to interview artists he thought were good himself, but was\u00a0always quite private about his own collection.<\/p>\n

During a press-conference following last night’s auction, Oliver Barker, Chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, said: “David Bowie’s personal art collection captured the imagination of tens of thousands who visited our exhibitions and the hundreds who took part in this everning’s sale.<\/p>\n

“Sotheby’s is truly honoured to have had the opportunity to share this collection with the world and, in doing so, offer a fresh insight into the creative mind of the one of the greatest cultural figures of our time”.<\/p>\n

The second and third part of the auction, live today from\u00a012pm, is set to auction both art and design works.<\/p>\n

Modern and Contemporary art\u00a0from 20th century British artists, German expressionist prints, Picasso ceramics and African contemporary art will go up for sale.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0first piece, David Jones’ Crucifixion, estimated at \u00a35,000-\u00a37,000, sold for\u00a0\u00a375,000\u00a0within minutes of the auction opening.<\/p>\n

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David Jones’ Crucifixion<\/em> | (Sotheby’s)<\/p><\/div>\n

Design: Ettore Sottsass and the Memphis Group<\/em>, the\u00a0third and final part of the auction,\u00a0comprises\u00a0works by the two Italian designers.<\/p>\n

Sotheby’s has described the collection as “definitive pieces of cutting edge Italian design fitting for the most innovative and daring musician of his generation”.<\/p>\n

Bowie was always very vocal about his love for both Sottsass and the Memphis Group, collecting many of their pieces during his life.<\/p>\n

Live for the whole day, the auction will\u00a0raise\u00a0millions of pounds and set records for Sotheby’s. You can follow the action on\u00a0Sotheby’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"http:\/\/www.sothebys.com\/content\/dam\/sothebys-pages\/auction-sales-recirc\/2016\/11\/1630978_AuctionListings_640x360_c3.jpg\"

David Bowie | (Sotheby’s)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

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