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Michael Jackson Painting By Mark Ryden

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:30,000.00 - 50,000.00 USD
Michael Jackson Painting By Mark Ryden

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Auction Date:2016 Jun 23 @ 18:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
One-of-a-kind original painting by famed pop surrealist Mark Ryden, oil on board, 7 x 8.75, depicting Michael Jackson as a naked rat wearing a crown, with a symbolic number seven floating above him, a shining engagement ring in the lower right, and Lisa Marie Presley inside a flaming heart. Signed at the bottom, “Ryden.” Matted and framed without glass to an overall size of 19.5 x 21. In fine condition.

This painting boasts several important connections to Michael Jackson, the first being that he commission Ryden to make the cover art for his 1991 album Dangerous. Considered the ‘godfather of pop surrealism,’ Ryden’s art has a distinct aesthetic and he has designed album covers for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Aerosmith, as well as book covers for Stephen King; some of his paintings have fetched upwards of two million dollars. In this example he portrays Jackson as a rat, one of Jackson’s favorite animals—and, in fact, the subject of his first solo hit, ‘Ben,’ released in 1972. The crown presumably represents Jackson’s status as the ‘King of Pop.’ The superstar was also interested in numerology, thus the floating “7.” Finally, Jackson was married to Lisa Marie Presley from 1994 to 1996, and the flaming heart surely represents Michael’s feelings towards her—although she ultimately broke his heart—and may be a nod to her father’s famous hit, ‘Burning Love.’ Combining numerous pop cultural elements, this is an incredibly rare, interesting piece.