Story at a glance
- A rare portrait of the late Diana Princess of Wales sold at auction this week.
- The oil on canvas portrait sold for $201,600, nearly 10 times its highest estimated value.
- The princess can be seen in a green halter dress with downcast eyes and a thoughtful express on her face.
A portrait of the late Diana Princess of Wales was sold for $201,600, nearly 10 times its highest estimated value, that was previously hung at Kensington Palace.
The rare portrait was sold through auction-house Sotheby’s, headquartered in New York City, and was listed with an estimated value of $15,000 to $20,000. The oil on canvas portrait was one of two done by Nelson Shanks, who developed a close friendship with the princess during her more than 30 sittings for the portrait.
Initially, Shanks created a full-length portrait of Diana in 1994, where she can be seen in a white blouse. Later, in 2010 Shanks recreated that portrait from memory, but painted the princess in a green halter dress with downcast eyes and a thoughtful expression on her face. The head study of that 2010 portrait earned a $201,600 winning bid this week.
“The final portrait reflects the emotional toll of Diana’s public life in the mid-1990s, but also her inner resilience,” said Sotheby’s.
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In a letter, Diana wrote to Shanks and his wife, “I do miss you and Leona in London, as coming to the studio was a safe haven, so full of support and love.”
In 1992, Diana and Charles, Prince of Wales, announced their separation and four years later the couple reached a divorce agreement. While married and following her divorce, Diana remained a pop culture icon, admired for her charisma, charitable causes and style.
On August 31, 1997 Diana was killed in a fatal car crash in Paris, with an investigation finding the driver of the car was heavily intoxicated and caused the accident while trying to escape paparazzi photographers.
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