David Bowie's art collection is going on sale, and it could be yours

David Bowie was a world-famous, pioneering musician and actor, but he was something else, too: an art collector. So Sotheby’s is using its sale of Bowie’s art and design collection as an opportunity to celebrate the man and the artists he collected and nurtured. As well as a week-long exhibition showcasing his 200-item-strong collection, there’ll be a series of talks this weekend, an all-night viewing and then the sales themselves a few days later. What’s surprising about Bowie’s art collection is how relatively conservative it is. You’d think he’d go for big, experimental works, but he really just liked nice, sedate modern art, pleasant paintings by people like Leon Kossoff and Frank Auerbach. That’s by no means a bad thing. It really makes for a show of lovely art, and a neat reminder of how much he’s missed. Here are three of our favourite works (and their prices). They could be yours, if you’re really, really rich.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, ‘Air Power’, estimate £2.5-£3.5 million.

Courtesy Sotheby's

Do you know how he chose this? He used his Bo(wie) selecta. Sorry.

Damien Hirst with David Bowie, ’Beautiful, Hallo, Space-Boy Painting’, estimate £250,000-£350,000.

Courtesy Sotheby's

You could almost describe this as... rainbowie. 

Patrick Caulfield, ‘Foyer’, estimate £400,000-£600,000

Courtesy Sotheby's

The family didn’t want to sell this, but they were... under pressure. 

‘Bowie/Collector’ at Sotheby’s. Oxford Circus. Free public viewing of the collection from Tue Nov 1-10. Talks take place on Sat Nov 5 and Sun Nov 6. More info at www.sothebys.com