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Andy Warhol makes waves again with $5.5m Debbie Harry portrait
His 1980 ink and acrylic picture of the famous lead singer of Blondie will be sold at Sotheby's
Andy Warhol is a name synonymous with record-breaking art sales and his work defines the modern and contemporary art scene.
So when his pieces come up for sale, it is no surprise that they always attract a lot of attention. The latest of his works to be auctioned of is a portrait of 1980s pop star Debbie Harry, the lead singer of Blondie.
The intricately produced print was created when the group was at the top of its game and famous worldwide for songs like Call Me and The Tide is High.
It consists of five layers of silk screen ink over an acrylic coloured background, and is clearly made striking by the contrast in tones and its clarity.
The portrait is expected to make up to £5.5m ($9,043,100) when it is auctioned at Sotheby's in London later this month, on June 29.
Despite being the standout piece of the work being sold during the contemporary art auction, there are other prominent pieces which also deserve recognition.
 Warhol's humble 'Dollar Sign' will make almost $500,000 |
One such work, Dantrolene (Being God for Dave), by controversial artist Damien Hirst, is set to sell for at least £800,000 ($1,315,280).
The portrait for sale is one of four of Debbie Harry, and has come from a private European collection. Two of the others can be found in the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.
One thing art by Andy Warhol guarantees is that it will always be popular and prominent and therefore command high prices at auction.
It is for this reason that investors should see his works as safe bets which will probably continue to rise in value.
Recent auctions have shown this, as last month one his self-portraits sold for $38.4m at Christie's, New York. In total, eight of his pieces sold, making a massive $91m.
Another one of his ink and acrylic prints which will command a high price at Sotheby's is simply titled 'Dollar Sign', which could ironicly sell for as much as £300,000 ($493,170) - quite a lot more than just a dollar.
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Images: Sotheby's
