The George Michael Collection... in numbers

0

Admission fee for the exhibition of The George Michael Collection  at Christie’s historic HQ on King Street in London — fans, art lovers and collectors can enjoy George’s private art collection completely free of charge

1

The first time Christie’s in London will be given a multi-media makeover to display the complete art collection of a major music star

2

Works offered in the sale of The George Michael Collection  by each of the following artists: Gilbert & George, Harland Miller, Marc Quinn, Gary Hume, Jake and Dinos Chapman; Grammy Awards won by George Michael; photographs of Kate Moss by Mary McCartney offered in the online sale

3

Songs performed by George Michael at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium in 1992, including his seminal live version of Queen’s Somebody To Love; number of times George won the Ivor Novello Award for Songwriter of the Year

5

Cities The George Michael Collection  will tour to — New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai and London — before the live auction on 14 March

6

Top-five singles from Faith, George Michael’s first solo album; top-three singles from Older, the album George Michael described as his ‘greatest achievement’; number of days the public exhibition, which will feature George Michael’s art collection, his music and important artefacts from his career, will be open at Christie’s in London (9-14 March). Selected highlights will be on view at Christie's Saturday 2 March

8

Duration in days of the online sale (8-15 March), which features art at prices ranging from £100 to £60,000

9

The date in March when the public exhibition opens in London (doors open at 1pm)

10

Price (in pounds sterling) of The George Michael Collection  souvenir tote bag

12

Weeks that Michael’s album Faith  stayed at number one in the US charts

14

Years Michael Craig-Martin taught an art degree course at Goldsmiths University in London, where he inspired the YBA generation

15

Number-one singles for George Michael in the UK and the US charts (combined)

20

Years — between 1984 and 2004 — that George Michael was the most played artist on British radio

26

Fish encased in formaldehyde in Damien Hirst’s work Saint Bartholomew  (estimate: £250,000-350,000)

27

Years between George Michael’s second solo album, Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1, topping the UK charts for the first time and the second time (1990 and 2017, the latter 10 months after the singer’s death)

44

The lot number in the 14 March Evening Sale for Andy Warhol’s Child with Kite, which George Michael acquired in 2007

47

Singles released by George Michael across his career

61

Lots to choose from The George Michael Collection  in the live auction at Christie’s on 14 March

70

The price in (pounds sterling) for The George Michael Collection  deluxe souvenir catalogue

100

The low estimate (in pounds sterling) for the least expensive lot in the collection, Jean Cocteau’s Untitled (Tête d’homme de profil), which is offered in the online auction

106

Dates played by George Michael on the 25 Live Tour, between 2006 and 2008. More than 1.3 million worldwide people watched the singer perform on his first tour in 15 years

117

Works in the live and online sale with low estimates of £10,000 or less

160

Light bulbs in Tim Noble and Sue Webster’s 1998 work The Sweet Smell of Excess  (estimate: £50,000-70,000), which George Michael purchased in 2007

175

Artworks for sale across both the evening sale and online auction

185

Hours that The George Michael Collection  will be open for viewing by the public during its round the world tour

191

Height in centimetres of Antony Gormley’s Another Time III, a cast iron bodyform (estimate of £180,000-250,000)

1000

17 works in the collection offered with a high estimate of £1,000 or less

1982

The year George Michael first performed on Top of the Pops, the BBC’s influential chart music show, and Bridget Riley painted Songbird  (estimate: £400,000-600,000), purchased by George Michael in 2006 and displayed above the fireplace in one of his homes

1988

The year Damien Hirst organised the group exhibition Freeze, which kick started the careers of the YBAs

1900

Seats in the Palais Garnier, the historic opera house in Paris. George Michael became the first contemporary music artist to play a concert at the venue in 2011

1997

The year Charles Saatchi presented his collection of YBA works in the show Sensation  at the Royal Academy in London

2007

The year Tracey Emin created the neon George Loves Kenny  (estimate: £40,000-60,000), a commission for the singer and his then-partner Kenny Goss. Emin first met the singer when she spoke to him through the letterbox having refused to open the front door whilst undertaking a commission at a patron’s house in west London

3000

Low estimate (in pounds sterling) for Mary McCartney’s Tracey as Frida, a photograph of Tracey Emin dressed as Frida Kahlo, which George Michael bought directly from the artist

8601

Flawless diamonds set in a platinum skull for For the Love of God, produced by Damien Hirst in 2007. A silkscreen print of the work is on offer in the online sale (estimate: £500-700)

100000

12 works in the sale with a low estimate of £100,000 or above

460000

Visitors to Damien Hirst’s 2012 retrospective at Tate Modern, which made it the most visited show in the gallery’s history

1.5 million

The high estimate (in pounds sterling) for the highest valued work of art in the collection — The Incomplete Truth  by Damien Hirst

1.67 million

Pounds paid by George Michael for the upright Steinway piano on which John Lennon composed Imagine. George subsequently sent the piano on a global peace tour

6 million

Copies of the single Careless Whisper  sold around the world

120 million (and counting)

George Michael records sold worldwide

Order the souvenir catalogues and tote bag for The George Michael Collection. The collection is on view in a special multi-media exhibition at Christie's London (8 King Street, SW1Y 6QT) from 8-15 March. Admission is free of charge