David Bowie self-portrait to fetch up to £55,000 at auction

A self-portrait created by David Bowie in 1996 is anticipated to achieve between £35,000 and £55,000 when it goes under the hammer at Sotheby's. The artwork will be offered as part of the Modern British & Irish Art Day Auction in London on Thursday 15 October 2026.

A personal connection

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The painting, described by Sotheby's as "one of the most striking and personal self-portraits by David Bowie ever to appear at auction", was gifted by the artist to his gallerist in St Ives. It has remained in that collection until now. The work features Bowie's likeness alongside two handprints pressed directly onto the composition. Sotheby's noted that the handprints create an "unusually intimate connection to the artist".

The auction house stated that the piece is "arguably the closest thing to a physical trace of Bowie himself that a collector could own". It is considered particularly noteworthy due to the limited public information available about Bowie's painting practice. Sotheby's reported that there is no definitive catalogue or record of this body of work, making examples that appear at auction exceptionally rare.

Rarity at auction

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According to Sotheby's, only two other self-portraits by David Bowie have previously come to auction. The auction house compared this new offering to those earlier works, noting that this piece is "remarkably direct in its gaze, more vividly coloured and arguably far more commanding in its presence". They described it as one of the strongest Bowie self-portraits to emerge publicly to date.

Kate Chertavian, Bowie's longtime art adviser and curator, commented on the rarity of his painting work. She stated that while Bowie's love of visual arts was widely known, his life as a painter remained relatively unknown. Chertavian was part of Bowie's world when he created the series of eight self-portraits to which this work belongs. She recalled him painting them in London, sometimes in a studio at her house and sometimes in hotel rooms, describing the self-portraits as among her favourites for capturing his essence.

Context of Bowie's art

David Bowie, who died in 2016, is celebrated for his music career, including five number one singles and 11 number one albums in the UK. His final album, Blackstar, released on his 69th birthday, achieved number one in the US and topped charts in over 20 countries, winning five Grammy Awards. Celebrations are planned worldwide to mark what would have been his 80th birthday on January 8, 2027, acknowledging his ongoing impact across all forms of art.