A bargain Bond in paint?
October 5 2012
Picture: Artnet
Sometimes Bonhams puts pictures in rather random sales, where they pass under the normal picture-buying radar. (I once bought a very important portrait of Disraeli in a 'Gentleman's Library' sale for peanuts. It's now hanging in the House of Commons.) The painting above came up last year in an 'Entertainment Memorabilia' sale, and sold for just £5,400 (inc. premium). Today's 50th Anniversary of Dr No, the first Bond film, has reminded me of it.
The picture was catalogued as 'attributed to Robert McGinnis', who designed the poster for The Man with the Golden Gun. Bonhams suggested it was the unfinished preparatory painting for the iconic poster. In which case, the picture was a steal at £5,400. But I see that the Bonhams website carries this update, with a quote from Mr McGinnis:
"It's possible I did it and have forgotten; however, if I didn't do it, someone made an exact copy of my final poster painting of Roger Moore."
So depending on Mr McGinnis' memory, it was either the Bond bargain of the decade, or a rather cunning fake. It thought it was well painted - if I'd seen it, I reckon I'd have had a punt...
