Bea Arthur, maybe the goldenest of all the girls, is quite the muse to painter John Currin. Currin painted a portrait of Bea Arthur…topless. And it’s expected to make a lot of money at a Christie’s Auction. Like, a LOT of money.
From The Huffington Post:
Currin’s 1991 work sparked quite the controversy in its day, as many were torn between Currin’s technical talent and his “acrid fantasy portraits of menopausal women,” as Peter Schjeldahl wrote in the New Yorker.
Fast forward 22 years and Bea in the buff is more valuable than ever. The topless portrayal is expected to sell for between $1.8-2.5 million at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art sale in New York this Wednesday.
You can see Bea in all her topless glory at the link.
She’s not the only one to inspire art. Amy Winehouse is having a statue made in her image, and let’s not forget the incredible gold Kate Moss statue that sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $900,000. Oh, and the, uh, statue of Britney Spears naked and giving birth sculpted by Daniel Edwards. That’s a good one.
Rest in peace, dear Bea. Know that you are missed.