Rising interest, pricetag for Warhol portrait of Jackson
NEW YORK — A portrait of a beaming Michael Jackson by pop art legend Andy Warhol, purchased just weeks ago for less than 300,000 dollars, could fetch as much as 10 million dollars at auction next month, art connoisseurs said Thursday.
Since Jackson’s June 25 death, anything related to the King of Pop has soared in value — as has the 30-inch by 26-inch (76-centimeter by 66-centimeter) Warhol silkscreen and synthetic polymer paint portrait.
The 1984 head-and-shoulders painting shows a “Thriller”-vintage Jackson: tawny skin and cascading curls, smiling broadly and wearing red and gold-tinged military garb.
“We had an overwhelming response,” said Janet Lehr, owner of the East Hampton, New York gallery.