Portrait of Prince Charles tops Sotheby's auction at $486,500

Yan Pei-Ming's Portrait of Prince Charles has topped the first day of Sotheby's Mimi Foundation: The Power of Love auction in London.

Prince Charles Portrait Pei-Ming
Pei-Ming's work is characterised by bold and expressive brushwork



The sale, taking place from October 16-17, is benefiting the Mimi Foundation, a charity organisation established in 2004 by influential collector Myriam Ullens, which operates wellness centres for cancer patients across Switzerland, France and Belgium.

Yan Pei-Ming's work is the first portrait of Prince Charles ever painted by a Chinese artist. It sold for an impressive £302,500 ($486,329), rising just past its £300,000 high estimate. A portion of the proceeds from this sale will benefit The Prince's Drawing School.

Yan Pei-Ming (b.1960) is one of China's most renowned contemporary artists, gaining international recognition for his striking monochrome portraits, which are often painted on a large scale.

Sterling Ruby Collage BC (4442)
Ruby is renowned for working with a variety of media, including ceramics, collage and bronzes



The second highest bids of the auction were seen by US artist Sterling Ruby's collage BC (4442), which excelled with a 50.2% increase on its £150,000 high estimate to sell for £225,400 ($360,500).

The sale also offered one of Tracey Emin's trademark neon signs, entitled The Kiss Was Beautiful. Numbered two from an edition of three, the piece proved popular, selling for £122,500 ($195,927) and making a 206.2% increase on its £40,000 high estimate.

Each of the works was donated to the sale by the artists themselves, with 40 of the world's leading contemporary names contributing.

Paul Fraser Collectibles brings you the latest news from across the auction world - sign up to our free weekly newsletter.

Featured products

Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Sale price£399
In stock
Fidel Castro signed certificateFidel Castro Signed Certificate
Fidel Castro signed certificate
Sale price£2,995
In stock
King Henry VIII Autographed DocumentKing Henry VIII Autographed Document
King Henry VIII Autographed Document
Sale price£55,000
In stock