The auction of Elton John memorabilia at Christie’s ended on Wednesday, raking in an impressive $20.5 million.
The sale opened on February 22nd and featured 900 items from the personal collection of Sir Elton John. The collection included paintings, jewelry, customized clothes, and a plethora of other personal items. More than a third of this, around 350, were simply photographs in his collection by names like Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Steven Meisel.
The highlight of the entire sale was certainly the Thrower Triptych (2017) by Banksy. It was sold on the opening night itself for a whopping $2 million. This was followed by an untitled painting by Keith Herring that was sold for $756,000. Perhaps the most impressive performer was a pair of silver leather boots marked on either side by Elton’s initials; it ended up fetching $94,500 (almost 20 times above its low estimate of $5000). Among the photographs, one particular print by Avedon featuring Nastassja Kinski was sold for $201,600.
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The sale itself was deemed a success, fetching more than double its high pre-sale estimate. Bonnie Brennan (President, Christie’s Americas) said: “It was a great honor for Christie’s to have been entrusted with the auction of the contents of Elton John’s Atlanta home. The collection was assembled over 30 years in an American city that meant so much to Elton John and his family.”
Darius Himes (International head of photographs, Christie’s) also chimed in: “Beyond including artistic and personal treasures the sale cemented the cultural legacy of one of the world’s most iconic figures.”
