A Canadian Woman Who Bought a Painting for 4,600 Won and Put It Up for Auction... Unexpected Luck Strikes

Current Auction Price Exceeds 35 Million KRW
Known as One of 47 Series Pieces
Bowie, Who Passed Away from Cancer in 2016
Deeply Engaged in Painting During Berlin Stay

David Bowie's Series of Paintings Sold at a Bargain Price and Back at Auction / Photo by Internet Homepage Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] It was recently revealed that a painting sold at a shopping mall in a small Canadian town is a work by British rock star David Bowie (1947?2016). The painting, which was purchased for less than 5,000 won at the time, is now estimated to be worth about 35 million won.

According to Canadian local media such as CTV on the 17th (local time), last summer a small painting was sold for 5 Canadian dollars (about 4,600 won) at a shopping mall in North Bay, a small town in northern Ontario.

However, an appraisal by a British professional company revealed that the painting is one of the portraits Bowie painted during his lifetime.

The shopping mall where the painting was sold is located near a landfill site, and it is reported that residents often leave items to be thrown away around the area. It is understood that this painting was also discarded near the landfill before being brought into the shopping mall.

British rock star David Bowie, who passed away in 2016 / Photo by Yonhap News

The buyer who purchased the painting for 5 Canadian dollars is an ordinary woman who reportedly had no idea that the painting was a Bowie work at the time of purchase.

In November last year, the woman contacted 'Cowley Abbott,' an art auction specialist in Toronto, seeking detailed information about the painting. Cowley Abbott judged that the painting the woman bought was likely a work by Bowie.

Subsequently, the company commissioned a British expert to conduct a detailed appraisal of the painting. The investigation revealed that the painting was one of 47 works from the series titled 'Dead Heads,' which Bowie painted between 1995 and 1997.

Previously, the painting was expected to fetch between 8,000 and 12,000 Canadian dollars (about 7.3 to 11 million won) at auction, but as of the 17th, the auction price has exceeded 38,000 dollars (about 35 million won). The auction is scheduled to close on the 24th.

Meanwhile, Bowie passed away from cancer in 2016 at the age of 69. It is reported that he was deeply immersed in painting while staying in Berlin, Germany, in the mid-1970s.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.