Tutu is a painting of an Ile-Ife princess, which the late artist painted in 1974. It was estimated to fetch between £200,000 - to £300,000 but the actual selling prize exceeded all expectation at the auction held Wednesday.
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Speaking to AFP prior to the sale of the painting, international renowned novelist Ben Okri called the painting African Mona Lisa.
He says: “It has been a legendary painting for 40 years. Everybody keeps talking about Tutu, saying: where is Tutu?”
“He wasn’t just painting the girl, he was painting the whole tradition. It’s a symbol of hope and regeneration to Nigeria, it’s a symbol of the phoenix rising.”
