Nude Bea Arthur Painting Could Sell For $2.5 Million

A nude portrait of Bea Arthur by the painter John Currin is up for auction at the Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art sale in New York, and could sell for up to $2.5 million, the Huffington Post reports.

Currin, a successful and at times controversial painter, has focused considerably on the female figure; he painted the portrait of Arthur, titled "Bea Arthur Naked," in 1991. Meanwhile, Arthur, an actress who died in 2009, was nominated nine times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series – second all time to Mary Tyler Moore’s ten nominations. Arthur won twice, once each for Golden Girls and Maude. She also won a Tony Award in 1966 for her performance in the musical Mame.

Christie’s was founded in 1766 by James Christie, and now conducts more than 450 auctions each year for paintings, jewelry, photography, wine, as well as many other categories. According to their website, their auction items sell for anything from $200 to as much as $80 million.

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