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Davie Bowie’s Personal Art Collection is Going Up for Sale

David Bowie, in addition to his many gifts and talents, was also an avid art collector. Apparently he applied his modish sensibilities to the interior of his home, as Pitchfork reports, where he amassed 267 works of art, including pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Marcel Duchamp, Frank Auerbach, Henry Moore, Graham Sutherland, and Damien Hirst. The entire collection is now going up for sale.

From November 1 – 10, Sotheby’s will exhibit Bowie’s art at New Bond Street Galleries in London before selling it piece by piece on the eleventh. The Basquiat piece, “Air Power,” is the crown jewel of the collection and is expected to fetch Bowie’s family $2.5-3.5 million. Altogether, the set is expected to net about $13.2 million, a small fortune that will keep the Bowie family well-cushioned even if his various other fortunes are ever exhausted.

The exhibit’s visitors will have a rare window into Starman’s artistic soul, a moment to soak in the art that inspired him to create all that he did. Oliver Parker, the chairman of Sotheby’s Europe, described the collection as “eclectic, unscripted, understated” and declared that it “offers a unique insight into the personal world of one of the 20th Century’s greatest creative spirits.”

A spokesperson for Bowie’s estate made a statement regarding the announcement, too, and, as you might expect, it reveals Bowie’s love of art and his paramount desire to share it with the world:

“David’s art collection was fuelled by personal interest and compiled out of passion. He always sought and encouraged loans from the collection and enjoyed sharing the works in his custody. Though his family are keeping certain pieces of particular personal significance, it is now time to give others the opportunity to appreciate – and acquire – the art and objects he so admired.”

Anyone going to have an opportunity to see this collection before it’s dissolved? Let us know in the comments.

Revisit our tribute to David Bowie:

Image: RCA

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