PARIS.- On 26 January 1990, at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, Michael Jackson stood beside his own portrait. Entitled The Book, the painting by Brett-Livingstone Strong depicts the singer dressed in red velvet, holding a closed book in his hands.

Its acquisition, reportedly valued at $2.1 million as part of an agreement that also included commercial exploitation rights, made international headlines. At the time, the painting was described in the press as the most expensive portrait of a living person.
More than three decades after that unveiling, Aguttes will offer the original painting at auction.

Michael Jackson beyond the stage:

Completed in December 1989, following the worldwide success of Bad, The Book grew out of the friendship and artistic collaboration between Jackson and Strong.

According to accounts from those close to the singer, it is believed to be the only painted portrait for which Jackson personally sat.

The result is an unusual portrayal of the artist: still, contemplative and surrounded by a setting that combines the grandeur of traditional portraiture with the magical world of Neverland.

Tinker Bell appears within the composition, while the book in Jackson's hands remains closed. According to the Jackson-Strong Alliance, it represents the notebook in which the singer recorded his ideas, drawings and song lyrics. At the centre of the painting, Jackson holds the very source of his creativity.

The original painting behind an image known to collectors:

Signed editions bearing the signatures of Michael Jackson and Brett-Livingstone Strong helped establish The Book among collectors.

The work now coming to auction at Aguttes is the original painting from which these editions were derived.

Its history is supported by an extensive documentary archive, including contemporary agreements and photographs of its unveiling in Michael Jackson's presence.