If you thought yesterday's post about a guy selling chainsaws one day and singing on tour with Boston was hard to believe, your head is going to explode today.
Here is a 1995 painting entitled Benefits Supervisor Sleeping by an artist named Lucian Freud. If you are a modern art aficionado then perhaps you are familiar with his work. I was not until yesterday.
That was when StronglyWordedLetter.com reader Rob sent me the story of Mr. Freud's painting being sold at Christie's auction house in New York. Before I tell you for how much, gaze again at the beauty above (of then-38-year-old Sue Tilley who was, yes, a benefits supervisor) and fix a number in your mind that you would consider a fair price for the work.
The painting actually set a record for the highest price ever paid for a work by a living artist. It went for $33.64 million dollars. **
Maybe the buyer just loves, er, larger women. Wouldn't a newsstand copy of Udders magazine be cheaper?
As an investment it sure seems like a risky bet to me but then no one liked Andy Warhol's celebrity silkscreens back when he made them and one of them from 1966, seen here, just sold at this same auction for $32.5 million. 
* I apologize to the 85% of you who saw the heading of today's post and had higher hopes. I know that particular nudity was not what you were breathlessly anticipating.
** Not a misprint. Thirty three million, six hundred forty thousand dollars, plus commission.
the broken settee leg is a nice touch
Posted by: alisa | May 15, 2008 at 04:43 AM
Can we assume then that your painting of the chimp wearing a hat was purchased for less than 33 mil?
Posted by: Diane | May 15, 2008 at 06:07 AM
Well, all I can say is, beauty is in thee eye of the beholder!
Posted by: Ana | May 15, 2008 at 06:18 AM
isn't that what Leonard Nimoy was doing with big women....perhaps it was photography?! well either way the painter and Nimoy should get together and have lunch!
Posted by: liz | May 15, 2008 at 08:09 AM
I just threw up a little bit in my mouth. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but that is an awfully hideous sight to behold. Just being honest, here.
Posted by: Christina L. | May 15, 2008 at 08:18 AM
that's pretty, erhm, interesting.
Also, because I wanted to see who this chick was: How Big Sue became art's biggest muse - http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/6-23-2002-20915.asp
And here's a recent picture of her: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=558925&in_page_id=1770
Apparently she got £26,000 for just a sketch a few years ago....
Posted by: Kathryne | May 15, 2008 at 08:31 AM
I blame Bush. In a Kerry or Gore administration that painting would have fetched 40 million or more. Of course the taxes would have been much higher so the artist would have received less...
Posted by: brother john | May 15, 2008 at 09:05 AM
When did Roseanne Barr start modeling?
Thanks Kathryne... now I have more ways to waste time at work (does the UK have the best gossip or what!)
Posted by: Rochelle | May 15, 2008 at 09:57 AM
Apology NOT accepted! I read your blog during lunch. Please post similar pictures lower in the story next time please.
Posted by: Fred G. | May 15, 2008 at 01:58 PM
You suck Bean I was hoping for nude photos of Megan Fox or anybody else. Boooooooo
Posted by: Drew Hansen | May 15, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Lucian Freud is one of the best figurative artists of our time, in the humble opinion of this artist. It is a beautiful painting, and worth every penny. For all you morons who only want to drool over naked pretty girls, that's what Playboy is for. Maybe you would prefer Thomas Kinkade? Or Kittens. Bet you like paintings of kittens.
Posted by: Paul Lee | May 15, 2008 at 06:08 PM
Thanks for the warning, BEAN.
Typically "NSFW" is LINKED to the subject matter that is not safe... not written directly ABOVE it.
Whatever - technically its art. That is my defense, HR!
Posted by: jes | May 15, 2008 at 10:45 PM