David Bowie's 'Aladdin Sane' cover art could break records
What's the story
The iconic cover image for David Bowie's Aladdin Sane album is set to go under the hammer at Bonhams, with an estimated price of £3,00,000. It is expected to break the current record held by Led Zeppelin's debut album cover, which sold for $3,25,000 in 2020. The photograph was taken by Brian Duffy and has become one of rock music's most recognizable images.
Auction details
Other items up for auction
The auction at Bonhams features 35 items from the Duffy archive, including the original Hasselblad 500C camera used by Duffy, the stool Bowie sat on during the 1973 Aladdin Sane shoot, and a contact sheet from the shoot. The inside artwork, a full-length image of Bowie as Aladdin Sane that was a centerfold for the first 5,000 records sold, is also up for auction with an estimated price of £1,50,000 to £2,00,000.
Global impact
The artwork's journey to fame
The Aladdin Sane artwork has been viewed by thousands worldwide in the past decade. It was loaned to the V&A for its David Bowie Is exhibition, which became the museum's most visited international touring show in its 165-year history. The photograph also featured prominently in Southbank Centre's exhibition celebrating Aladdin Sane's 50th anniversary in 2023. Duffy's son, Chris Duffy, called it "the Mona Lisa of pop."
Creation process
Lightning bolt's origin story and artwork details
The famous lightning bolt across Bowie's eyelid was originally a small logo on his cheekbone. Duffy, however, used lipstick to create a larger flash. Philip Castle, known for his work on A Clockwork Orange posters, airbrushed Duffy's photograph and added the watermark on Bowie's shoulder. "It's a dye transfer print...the most expensive process that was really costly," said Claire Tole-Moir from Bonhams about the artwork's quality and cost at the time of its creation in 1973.
Artist partnership
Duffy's other collaborations with Bowie
Duffy had a long-standing relationship with Bowie and also shot album artwork for Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), and Lodger albums. The sale will open on October 22. Claire Tole-Moir, head of popular culture at Bonhams, said, "The only other artworks at this sort of significance were the original artwork by George Hardie for Led Zeppelin's debut album and Elton John's Captain Fantastic."