Yes, he knows the art of the deal. But President Trump also knows the art of art, apparently. A stark drawing he once did of the Empire State Building in black magic marker is going up for auction later this month.
“Billionaire real estate mogul, reality TV personality, the 45th President of the United States. Much is known of the many high profile roles Donald Trump has played as one of the most talked about cultural figures of our time. But less is known of Trump’s talents as an artist. A rarely seen drawing has surfaced revealing the future President’s artistic inclinations in the early 1990s during his days as a real estate developer,” reports Julien’s Auctions, a Los Angeles-based auction house with a heavy concentration in the art and objects from the film, music and sports worlds.
“The 12-inch by 9-inch piece depicts a sketch of the Empire State Building, a significant symbol of Trump’s ascent as a real estate mogul as he brokered the sale of New York’s most iconic symbol. He created the work during the opening of his Mar-a-Lago club and used it as an entry point into the Palm Beach social set by donating the piece for a charity auction,” the auction house says.
The piece raised less than $100 back in the day. It now could fetch around $12,000, the auctioneer advises. The original seller, who is unnamed, plans to donate part of the proceeds to National Public Radio.
The auction will also features works by Andy Warhol and Jean Michel Basquiat, among others.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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