David Bowie’s ‘Aladdin Sane’ artwork expected to fetch £300,000 at auction

One of music’s most iconic images – David Bowie ‘Aladdin Sane’ album artwork—is heading to auction, with estimates suggesting it could fetch £300,000. The instantly recognizable image, featuring Bowie’s lightning bolt makeup, is the centerpiece of Bonhams’ “Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive” exhibition and auction, which opened on October 22 at Bonhams New Bond Street in London.

The sale features 35 original works by legendary photographer Brian Duffy, who captured Bowie during some of his most pivotal artistic phases, including Aladdin Sane, Lodger, and Scary Monsters. As one-third of the “terrible trio” alongside Terence Donovan and David Bailey, Duffy helped define the visual language of 20th-century pop culture. The exhibition explores his long-standing creative partnership with Bowie through rare photographs, contact sheets, and personal artifacts from the Duffy Archive, curated by Chris Duffy, his son.

In addition to the main cover image, the auction features the original inside artwork – a full-length portrait of Bowie with his multicolored lightning bolt—originally printed as a centrefold in the first 5,000 pressings of the 1973 LP. Estimates place the interior shot between £150,000 and £200,000.

Claire Tole-Moir, Bonhams’ Head of Popular Culture, described the piece as “arguably the most famous image ever made of Bowie,” placing it alongside other iconic artworks such as Led Zeppelin’s debut album and Elton John’s Captain Fantastic.

David Bowie artwork auction closes on November 5, marking a rare opportunity for collectors to acquire one of pop music’s most enduring visual symbols.

הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם

‏‎פוסט משותף על ידי ‏‎Bonhams‎‏ (@‏‎bonhams1793‎‏)‎‏