An abstract artwork by Denmark’s Queen Margrethe, who shocked her nation by abdicating earlier this year, brought 160,000 kroner ($23,300) at auction in Copenhagen, above the projected price range of 75,000–100,000 ($11,000–14,550).
The 83-year-old queen is well-known for her artistic creations, and several of her paintings have been on display in Danish and foreign institutions.
The 1998 acrylic artwork, which had a starting bid of 45,000 kroner ($6,550), was sold to an unidentified buyer at Denmark’s largest auction house late on Tuesday. The family owned the picture, which had been a gift to a former assistant who passed away in 1989.
Bruun Rasmussen Auction House’s Niels Boe-Hauggaard stated that Margrethe rarely has her works up for auction. She has created book illustrations, church vestments and crockery, and ballet costumes and sets.
“The queen’s recent abdication may also have given the painting an extra layer to its history,” he added in a statement.
Margrethe declared on New Year’s Eve that she was resigning, citing health concerns. A country that had anticipated that she would inherit the Danish throne and live out her days there was taken aback by her pronouncement.
Margrethe gave up her throne willingly on January 14, making history as the first Danish monarch to do so in almost 900 years. She duly signed her abdication, and her son became King Frederik X.
After undergoing extensive back surgery in February 2023, Margrethe didn’t start working again until April.
Denmark’s monarchy is the oldest in Europe and among the oldest in the world, having its roots in the Viking king Gorm the Old in the tenth century. The royal family’s responsibilities today are mostly ceremonial.
It wasn’t the first time Margrethe’s painting was up for auction on Tuesday. One of her pieces was sold by the same auction house in 2021 for 230,000 kroner ($33,500).
ABC NEWS
