Pop icon Elton John is gearing up to sell his 900-item collection, which was consolidated from his former Atlanta estate, in a string of auctions at Christie's in New York starting on Feb. 21, according to a report by the New York Times.
LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 03: Elton John performs live at Twickenham Stoop on June 3, 2017 in London, England.
From a Grand Piano Involved with Hit Broadway Shows to a Banksy Piece
The said penthouse residence was sold by John and his husband, David Furnish, for over $7.2 million in November last year. Bought by the superstar in the '90s, its contents, comprising numerous artworks and mementos, will go up in the upcoming series of sales.
One of the headlining lots is for a Yamaha conservatory grand piano, which John used in writing the music for hit Broadway shows "Billy Elliot" and "Aida." It is estimated to sell for $50,000 at the high-end, around three-fold the price of the standard model sold online.
The next highlighted listing is for a portrait of the pop star made by American painter and filmmaker Julian Schnabel, which the auction house values at $300,000.
In terms of the most expensive object going up on the auction block, it's the 2017 Banksy piece depicting a masked man throwing a bouquet which is evaluated at $1.5 million. Also, according to Christie's website, this particular painting was acquired directly from the enigmatic street artist himself.
Other notable items up for sale from John's collection include the pop star's iconic multi-hued sunglasses, a pair of silver leather platform boots with the artist's initials, and a '70s ivory and gold ensemble costume created by textile designer Annie Reavey.
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Elton John's Comprehensive Collection of Modern Art Pieces
When he was still living in Atlanta, Georgia, John had assembled a comprehensive collection from various respected artists such as Hungarian photographer André Kertész, Cindy Sherman, Robert Mapplethorpe, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring.
For his interest in the medium of photography, he received encouragement from local gallerist Jane Jackson, who eventually became director of the Sir Elton John Photography Collection exhibit in 2003.
Some pieces included in this collection were also featured in the Tate Modern's "The Radical Eye" art show, which took place between November 2016 and May 2017.
Other works from the artist's entire collection have also appeared elsewhere. Notable features were during the "Chorus of Light" exhibition in Atlanta's High Museum of Art which comprised pieces from Richard Avedon, Andres Serrano, and Irving Penn.
Online auctions featuring some of the items within John's collection will also be available, starting from Feb. 9.
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