How much are Rolf Harris' paintings worth?

23 May 2023 , 07:36
1140     0
How much are Rolf Harris' paintings worth?
How much are Rolf Harris' paintings worth?

ROLF Harris fell from favour after he was charged with sex offences in 2014.

He passed away from neck cancer and "frailty of old age" in May 2023, but at the peak of his fame he was known as an artist, singer, and entertainer.

Rolf Harris was commissioned to paint an oil portrait of the Queen at Buckingham Palace for her 80th birthday. qeituikdidtrprw
Rolf Harris was commissioned to paint an oil portrait of the Queen at Buckingham Palace for her 80th birthday.Credit: Getty Images

Did Rolf Harris paint a portrait of the Queen?

In 2005, Rolf Harris was commissioned by the BBC to paint a portrait for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II for her 80th birthday.

The oil painting was unveiled at the Queen's Gallery in Buckingham Palace.

Harris' special creation was made into a BBC special and was broadcast on BBC on January 1, 2006.

R&B star Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters dies aged 74R&B star Anita Pointer of The Pointer Sisters dies aged 74

The portrait took two months to create and measures 39 x 20 inches (100 by 50 centimetres).

It depicts the Queen wearing a turquoise dress.

How many times did Rolf Harris paint the Queen?

The late monarch sat twice for Harris and was painted over the summer of 2005.

After completion, The 80th Birthday Portrait hung in the palace until 2007, and was then returned to the BBC.

Regarding the portrait's current location, a BBC spokesperson said: "We've been asked about this before and the position hasn't changed. The BBC does not have this painting in its collection."

How many paintings does Rolf Harris have?

Harris became a household name for his musical and television career that started in the 1960s.

He had a Christmas number one in the UK with Two Little Boys and performed at Glastonbury Festival several times.

However, his artwork was not forgotten.

He became famous during the seventies for his BBC shows where he would slap paint on a big canvas with a large brush.

Viewers would be trying to guess the image which would often look like a mess of paint.

Celtic icon Frank McGarvey dies aged 66 as tributes paid to hero after cancer fightCeltic icon Frank McGarvey dies aged 66 as tributes paid to hero after cancer fight

The picture would gradually emerge as he said his catchphrase "Can you tell what it is yet?"

How much are Rolf Harris' paintings worth?

Harris' paintings plummeted in value after he was convicted as a sex offender in 2014.

Following his conviction, the guide price for his art is said to have decreased by more than half its previous value.

In 2016, an English auction house sold a Harris painting that had originally been worth £45,000, for just £7,500.

Many collectors of his work rushed to try and shift their art after a jury found him guilty of 12 counts of sexual abuse.

An eBay seller listed one of his paintings for £899 in 2021 - significantly less than it may have been worth eight years prior

However, in 2017, one collector was selling a Harris painting for £125,000.

The painting was called "Busses at Trafalgar" and it was believed that the collector purchased it for £90,000.

This £125,000 listing was unusual, however, with the majority of his art being priced on eBay between £500 and £1,650.

Where is Rolf Harris now?

On May 23, 2023, it was announced that the disgraced entertainer had passed away aged 93.

His death on May 10, 2023, was confirmed by a registrar at the town hall where he lived in Maidenhead.

As of October 2022, Harris was reportedly "gravely ill" battling neck cancer and was receiving round-the-clock care.

His health reportedly "rapidly declined" in 2019 and was said to have further deteriorated after the death of his poodle in 2022.

His neighbour, Portia Wooderson, said the Australian entertainer was “really attached” to his dog, Bumble, and the poodle’s sudden death “knocked him really badly”.

According to reports, the entertainer was being fed by a tube and was unable to talk.

Holly Beaumont

Explainers, Celebrity deaths, Rolf Harris

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