A portrait painted in blood, by British musician and artist Pete Doherty and late singer Amy Winehouse, is set to fetch a staggering £80,000 at a forthcoming auction. The artwork – Ladylike – is reportedly an artistic illustration of Doherty’s one-time band The Libertines, along with a small self-portrait of Winehouse painted with her own blood. The joint artwork was earlier unveiled by Doherty at an exhibition.
Apart from the artwork, the auction will also feature other prized possessions of the musician, including stage outfits, private diaries, lyric books and military jackets from the band’s glory days.
“Blood plays the starring role in my work. Sweat and tears are often waiting in the wings,” the Independent quoted Doherty saying.
The artist’s unique mode of painting is called “arterial splatter” in which he either cuts a finger and draws with blood from the cut or uses a syringe to extract blood to paint with. The exclusive artwork will be auctioned at The Cob Gallery on 11 May.
A news release by the gallery reads: “following the success of the recent exhibition, ‘On Blood: A Portrait of the Artist’, The Cob Gallery and Guts for Garters have extended the opportunity to purchase work from a man whose decision to live outside the status quo has led him to be both admired and exhibited.”