Elton John is selling 900 items from his former Atlanta penthouse beginning on February 21 in a series of auctions at Christie’s estimated to gross $10 million.
Last fall, John, together with husband and manager David Furnish, sold their 13,000-plus-square-foot Atlanta residence for more than $7.2 million. John purchased the property in the 1990s. Now, the New York Times reports, the pair is consolidating their collection of artworks and mementos.
Highlights include John’s Yamaha conservatory grand piano on which he wrote the hit Broadway shows “Billy Elliot” and “Aida” for $50,000; Julian Schnabel’s portrait of John for $300,000; and a 2017 Banksy triptych of a masked man throwing a bouquet of flowers for $1.5 million. The singer’s iconic sunglasses, initialed silver platform boots, and a 1970s ivory and gold costume made by textile designer Annie Reavey will also appear on the block.
During his time in Georgia, John amassed a comprehensive collection including work by Dorothea Lange, Hungarian photographer André Kertész, Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, and Robert Mapplethorpe.
His interest in photography was encouraged by local gallerist Jane Jackson, who ultimately became the director of the Sir Elton John Photography Collection in 2003. Part of this collection was on view as part of the exhibition “The Radical Eye” at Tate Modern in 2016–17.
Works from John’s collection also appeared in the 2000 exhibition, “Chorus of Light” at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, many of which will soon hit the block, including pieces by Irving Penn, Richard Avedon, and Andres Serrano.
This is the first time that a major selection from the singer’s collection has been open to public sale since 2003.
