Francis Bacon Work Sells for $21.5m to Deliver a 12% Annualized Return
3 min read · 04 Mar 2026
Self-Portrait. Image courtesy of Sotheby's
Francis Bacon, Self-Portrait (1972), sold for $21.5m (GBP16.04m), more than twice the low estimate at Sotheby's in London on March 4.
The sale beat the previous auction result for this work by $20.98m, equivalent to an annualized return of 12%. It last sold at auction in 1994 for $517,100 at Sotheby's.
Oil on canvas, 35.5 x 30.5cm. The work has been traded twice in the past.
Sale Date | Price | Price Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
March 04, 2026 | $21.5m | 4058 % | Sotheby's | London |
November 30, 1994 | $517,100 | - | Sotheby's | London |
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