A resident purchased a painting from a dumpster in Canada for $4.10, only to discover it was a valuable piece that could sell for thousands of dollars.
Experts have examined and confirmed that the valuable painting of rock icon David Bowie was retrieved from a trash can in Ontario, Canada, for $4.10.
The portrait titled “DHead XLVI.”
Upcoming, the painting will be sold in a live art auction, expected to fetch thousands of dollars.
According to Rob Cowley, president of Cowley Abbott, the auction management company, the portrait titled “DHead XLVI” is part of a series of 47 works that Bowie created between 1995 and 1997.
On the back of the painting, which measures 24.7 x 20.3 cm, is a special signature from David Bowie, along with a tag featuring his name and the date 1997, describing it as “computer collage and acrylic on canvas.”
Additionally, there is a label from a framing company in London, England, which previously worked with David Bowie and other famous musicians before closing down.
The back of the painting.
The specific identity of the seller has not been disclosed, only that they are not an art collector, but simply someone who appreciates art.
Rob Cowley stated, “The painting caught their eye. Before flipping it over and discovering the sticker, they thought it was an interesting painting.”
Andy Peters, an expert in collecting David Bowie’s signatures since 1978, began focusing on authenticating Bowie’s signatures to combat forgery after his death in 2016 from cancer.
Andy Peters remarked, “The first time I saw the painting, I believed it was genuine. I didn’t need to check the signature on the back. Bowie changed his signature multiple times throughout his 55-year career, but each signature has certain nuances that forgers cannot replicate.”
Bowie painted many works depicting friends, family, other musicians, and self-portraits. In this newly discovered painting, even the gender is hard to discern as there are no distinguishing features on the face apart from its shape.
Rob Cowley commented, “It’s quite an impressive portrait, but very difficult to specifically identify who it is.”
Experts predict that the painting could help the seller fetch between $7,381 and $9,841, equivalent to approximately 169 million to 226 million VND, however, it has already exceeded that price on the first day of sale. The auction will conclude on June 24.
In 2018, Christie’s auction house sold another painting from David Bowie’s series for $27,500, around 631 million VND.
David Bowie was a renowned British singer, songwriter, and rock music producer, as well as an avid painter and well-known art collector.
He emerged as a phenomenon in the global music scene in the early 1970s. Over a career spanning 40 years, he sold approximately 140 million albums. Following his death at the age of 69, the value of David Bowie’s signed works increased by up to 300%.
