David Bowie's Auction Record Jumps 500%
3 min read · 15 Oct 2026
Self Portrait. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
David Bowie, Self Portrait (1996) sold for $543,700 (GBP409,600), more than 11 times the low estimate at Sotheby's in London on October 15. The acrylic, watercolour and charcoal on paper work has been traded twice in the past.
The sale beat the artist’s previous auction record by $456,100, a 500% rise.
DHead XLVI (1997). Sold for $87,600 in 2021. Image courtesy of Cowley Abbott
The previous record was set by DHead XLVI (1997), which sold for $87,600 at Cowley Abbott on June 24, 2021.
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 15, 2026 | Self Portrait | $543,700 | 520 % | Sotheby's | London |
June 24, 2021 | DHead XLVI | $87,600 | 169 % | Cowley Abbott | Toronto |
March 16, 2016 | DHEAD | $32,600 | - | Lyon & Turnbull | Edinburgh |
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