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Sensational Subjects: 10 Mind-Blowing Portraits & Caricatures
Unique celebrity portraits previously sold at Julien's Auctions.
May 4, 2024
Portraits, those intimate captures of the human spirit, possess a unique power to transfix and transcend time. Yet, with world of art auctions serving as a realm of hidden treasures and jaw-dropping prices, it's not always the size of the canvas or the sparkle of jewels that commands the highest bids. In the thrilling history of art sales, ten extraordinary portraits stand out, their subjects and stories captivating audiences and shattering records.
From the tensing grin of Kurt Cobain’s self-drawn masterwork, to a Paul Bedard mashup depicting defiant gazes of revolutionary icons behind Aviator shades, portraits offer intimate glimpses into the past. They can be windows into the souls of long-gone figures, preserving the fleeting expressions and emotions that once animated their faces. These artworks hold the stories of artists and their muses, of patrons and their ambitions – and whisper tales of bygone eras – their fashions, their values, their unspoken truths.
NIRVANA KURT COBAIN SIGNED SELF-PORTRAIT DRAWING WITH HANDWRITTEN INSCRIPTIONS
WINNING BID: $281,250
ESTIMATE: $10,000 - $20,000
Lot #1162 in Icons & Idols Rock "N" Roll & Sports
JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO ORIGINAL SIGNED BED-IN DRAWING
WINNING BID: $93,750
ESTIMATE: $70,000 - $90,000
Lot #31 in MusiCares Charity Relief Auction
SNOOP DOGG PAINTING SIGNED BY SNOOP DOGG
WINNING BID: $96,000
ESTIMATE: $1,500 - $3,000
Lot #361 in Music Icons 2009 and Steven Tyler
PAUL BEDARD (AMERICAN, 20TH CENTURY)
WINNING BID: $53,125
ESTIMATE: $4,000 - $6,000
Lot #272 in Icons & Idols: Hollywood 2016 Featuring The Collection of Jane Fonda & Harold Lloyd's Rogues' Gallery
ANDY WARHOL (AMERICAN, 1928-1987)
WINNING BID: $51,200
ESTIMATE: $25,000 - $30,000
Lot #166 in Icons And Idols: Rock 'N' Roll
DAVID BOWIE HEROES SELF-PORTRAIT ORIGINAL ARTWORK •
WINNING BID: $50,000
ESTIMATE: $40,000 - $60,000
Lot #647 in Property From The Collection of Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach
BEATLES SIGNED MAGAZINE PORTRAIT
WINNING BID: $44,800
ESTIMATE: $5,000 - $7,000
Lot #273 in Icons & Idols: Hollywood 2016 Featuring The Collection of Jane Fonda & Harold Lloyd's Rogues' Gallery
ANDY WARHOL (AMERICAN, 1928-1987)
WINNING BID: $44,800
ESTIMATE: $25,000 - $30,000
Lot #114 in PROPERTY FROM THE LIFE AND CAREER OF BETTY WHITE
BETTY WHITE: 1950S ERA FRAMED OIL ON CANVAS PORTRAIT
WINNING BID: $43,750
ESTIMATE: $800 - $1,200
Lot #137 in Street, Contemporary, and Celebrity Art
JEAN MICHEL BASQUIAT (AMERICAN, 1960-1988)
WINNING BID: $40,625
ESTIMATE: $40,000 - $60,000