Golden Girls Gone Wild: “Bea Arthur Naked” painting sells for nearly $2 million
I love me some Golden Girls and I also enjoy some fine art from time to time, but I don’t have the love like the person who dropped almost $2 million for a semi-nude painting of Bea Arthur.
The work from John Currin, simply entitled “Bea Arthur Naked,” was purchased by an anonymous bidder over the phone during an auction at Christie’s in Manhattan last night.
When the piece first came out it was slammed by critics who went as far as to request that folks boycott Currin’s shows in the early 90s. Since that time, Currin’s work has received critical acclaim with his work hanging in prestigious galleries and museums such as the Whitney.
A Christie spokesperson said of the work:
“It’s historically significant — it’s radical to sexualize someone people think of as asexual.”
The late actress who portrayed Dorothy on the hit show Golden Girls never posed for the painting. I bet Blanche woulda jumped at the opportunity!
Props to The Blemish for the find…
