An enormous painting of Leonardo DiCaprio by Damien Hirst, titled *Beautiful Leonardo DiCaprio Looking Away Painting* (2016), sold for $1.3 million at the amfAR Gala in Cannes, France, on May 25. The work, a colorful spin painting signed by both the actor and artist, was donated by collector Christian Levett and auctioned by Simon de Pury. The gala raised $17 million total, with the top lot being a $1.6 million Aston Martin DB12, and also featured artworks by Claire Tabouret, Cecily Brown, Andres Valencia, and Robert De Niro.
The sale matters because it highlights the intersection of celebrity, philanthropy, and the art market, with auctioneer Simon de Pury noting that charity auctions can serve as indicators of market health. The work originally sold for €600,000 at the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation Gala in 2016, showing a significant appreciation. The event also underscores the ongoing role of high-profile fundraisers like amfAR, which has raised over $500 million since 1985, and the enduring appeal of Damien Hirst's spin paintings, which recently generated over $20 million in a digital format.