CHRISTIE'S TO SELL RARE WARHOL SELF-PORTRAIT

A RARE ANDY WARHOL SELF PORTRAIT IN STARK WHITE AND RED, WHICH HAD BEEN IN [PRIVATE HANDS FOR OVER 30 YEARS, WILL GO ON SALE AT CHRISTIE'S IN LONDON NEXT MONTH, ANCHORING THE AUCTIONEER'S POST WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART OFFERING. THE UNUSUALLY LARGE CANVAS, 6 FEET BY 6 FEET FEATURES THE PENSIVE ARTIST STARRING STRAIGHT AT THE VIEWER BUT WITH HALF HIS FACE SWALLOWED IN A SHADOW OF BLOOD RED PAINT. ONE OF 11 SELF PORTRAITS IN THE 1967 SERIES, IT IS THE ONLY ONE RESTRICTED TO TWO COLOURS. CHRISTIE'S ESTIMATES A GAVEL PRICE OF £3 TO £5 MILLION FOR THE PAINTING. 'THIS IS ONE OF THE MISSING PIECES OF THE HOLY GRAIL', SAID AMY CAPPELLAZZO, CHRISTIE'S CO-HEAD OF CONTEMPORARY AND POST WAR ART. IT WAS PUT UP FOR SALE BY THE ESTATE OF THE PAINTING'S PURCHASER, WHO IS NOW DECEASED, SHE ADDED. WARHOL WAS AT THE HEIGHT OF CELEBRITY WHEN HE FIRST EXHIBITED THE PAINTING ALONG WITH 10 OTHER PORTRAITS AT THE MONTREAL, CANADA 1967 WORLD'S FAIR, KNOWN AS EXPO 67. THE SELF-PORTRAIT DISAPPEARED FROM VIEW AFTER IT WAS OUGHT IN 1974 FROM WARHOL'S MAIN DEALER, LEO CASTELLI. THE WARHOL IS PART OF CHRISTIE'S POST-WAR AND CONTEMPORARY ART AUCTION ON 16-17.FEBRUARY IN LONDON, COMPRISED OF 64 WORKS AND ESTIMATED AT A TOTAL OF £66.4 MILLION.