Known as the 'Mona Lisa of Pop' it is one of the most recognisable images of all time, David Bowie's cover image for his iconic album Aladdin Sane, shot by Duffy, which has become the most expensive album art ever sold achieving a new world record of £381,400 at Bonhams.
The work, which was offered as part of The Mona Lisa of Pop: The Duffy Archive, which ran from 22 October – 5 November on bonhams.com, had an estimate of £250,000-300,000.
All coming to auction for the first time, the sale also featured the only two original contact sheets of David Bowie for his album Aladdin Sane,1973, which sold for £19,200 and the stool Bowie sat on for the Aladdin Sane shoot, which sold for £2,816. All items came directly from the Duffy Archive, established and managed by Duffy's son, Chris Duffy.
Claire Tole-Moir, Head of Bonhams' Popular Culture Department, commented: "The cover of David Bowie's Aladdin Sane is a truly iconic image by Duffy. It represents a landmark album by Bowie and a pivotal moment in Pop Culture history. We are delighted that its significance has been recognised today with a new world record price achieved at Bonhams."
Duffy's son, Chris Duffy, Founder and Managing Director of the Duffy Archive, commented: "Duffy would be honoured to know that 15 years after his passing that the 'Mona Lisa of Pop' has achieved a world record and cemented its position as a cultural icon."
The iconic Aladdin Sane album cover was photographed by legendary British photographer Brian Duffy (15 June 1933 – 31 May 2010), one of the key photographers of the swinging sixties, during a 1973 London studio session. Bowie's manager, Tony Defries, commissioned the shoot with instructions to create a high-impact, superstar-making cover. The striking red-and-blue lightning bolt across Bowie's face was Duffy's idea and was painted by makeup artist Pierre La Roche. Duffy brought the luxe production values he'd already applied to the 1973 Pirelli calendar, where he'd collaborated with airbrush artist Philip Castle – who also later added the single airbrushed teardrop on Bowie's clavicle bone that completed the cover design. For the print, Duffy opted for a Kodak process called dye transfer, which produced a greater depth of colour and the right kind of surface for airbrushing. The shoot was one of five sessions Bowie and Duffy collaborated on, a creative partnership that lasted 9 years and also resulted in covers for Lodger and Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
Written by Duffy's son, Chris Duffy, and Kevin Cann, Duffy Bowie: Five Sessions covers Duffy's work with David Bowie, exploring the chemistry and creation of these five iconic sets of images illustrated with interviews from people who were directly involved.
"Duffy asked David what the album was to be called, and David replied "A Lad Insane". Duffy interpreted this as 'Aladdin Sane'; I guess a genie vision and thoughts of rubbing an Aladdin's lamp must have appeared to him." – Chris Duffy
For nearly four decades following the April 1973 release of Aladdin Sane, the iconic eyes-closed image remained the only widely seen frame from the shoot. That changed in 2010, when David Bowie and the Duffy Archive gave the green light for a colour, eyes-open alternate version to be used on the cover of Kevin Cann's book Any Day Now. The same striking image was later used by the V&A to promote their landmark 2013 exhibition, 'David Bowie Is...'
Main Image: Photo Duffy © Duffy Archive & The David Bowie Archive ™