Bowie at Bonhams: The Aladdin Sane Legacy of Brian Duffy
A rare glimpse into the making of one of music’s most iconic images. Bonhams London is offering a collection from the Brian Duffy archive — including the original Aladdin Sane artwork, described as “the Mona Lisa of pop.”
A Bolt of Lightning
Few album covers have become as instantly recognisable as Aladdin Sane. Released in 1973, the image of David Bowie with a red and blue lightning bolt across his face captured the height of his transformation into a global phenomenon.
More than just an album sleeve — it was the visual identity of an era. Created by photographer Brian Duffy, make-up artist Pierre Laroche, and Bowie himself, the cover fused glam theatre with the precision of fine art. Duffy later said the concept was simple: “Bowie was the lightning bolt.”
‘ A Lad Insane’
Aladdin Sane sits at a crucial point in Bowie’s discography — the bridge between The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) and the bold experimentation of Low, “Heroes”, and Lodger, the so-called Berlin Trilogy.
By 1980, Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) would close that decade-long evolution, once again under Duffy’s eye, blending avant-garde imagery with pop precision. Across these records, Duffy’s photography charts Bowie’s constant reinvention — a collaboration that defined not just the look of a musician, but the visual language of modern rock.
Duffy - The Man Behind the Lens
Before Bowie, Duffy had already revolutionised British photography. Alongside David Bailey and Terence Donovan, he formed what critics called “the Black Trinity” — the trio who re-invented fashion imagery for the Swinging Sixties. His portraits of Jean Shrimpton, Michael Caine, and Twiggy graced the pages of Vogue and Elle, bringing a raw immediacy to post-war glamour.
He also photographed Pattie Boyd for Vogue in 1965, linking the worlds of fashion, photography, and rock ’n’ roll that would later converge around the likes of the Beatles, the Stones, and Bowie himself.
By the early ’70s, Duffy’s aesthetic had grown sharper and more conceptual — perfect for Bowie’s own exploration of identity and image. Together they produced three album covers that remain among the most recognisable in music history: Aladdin Sane, Lodger, and Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps).
Property from the Duffy Archive at Bonhams
The upcoming sale at Bonhams London offers an extraordinary insight into Duffy’s process.
The headline lot is a vintage dye-transfer print from 1973, taken from the original colour transparency used to produce the Aladdin Sane gatefold. Created by Duffy with airbrushing by Philip Castle, the print shows Castle’s distinctive ‘water-mark’ effect on Bowie’s shoulder, the enhanced white across his torso, and extended eyelashes — all under Duffy’s direction.
Lot 6 (AR) ‘Mona Lisa of Pop at Bonhams
Signed and dated Duffy ’73, the framed 12½ × 15½-inch image (32 × 40 cm) is expected to fetch around £250,000 – £300,000, with Bonhams describing it as “the Mona Lisa of pop”.
Alongside it are work-ups and contact sheets from the Aladdin Sane sessions, prints from later collaborations (Lodger and Scary Monsters), and a handwritten note from Duffy (2006) reflecting on the shoot’s creation.
Also included in the auction are:
Two copies of the 1973 Aladdin Sane tour programme, a piece of rock memorabilia that evokes the visual drama of Bowie’s live performances;
Contact sheets and work-ups from the Aladdin Sane shoot;
Prints and preparatory materials from Duffy’s later collaborations with Bowie on Lodger and Scary Monsters;
A handwritten note by Duffy, dated 2006, reflecting on the creation of Aladdin Sane.
Aladdin Sane on the Road
The Aladdin Sane tour of 1973 carried Bowie across Britain, the US, and Japan — a whirlwind of costume, theatre, and exhaustion. Designed with input from Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto, the stage show transformed the Ziggy persona into something more elaborate and performative.
By the time Bowie returned to London that summer, the character had run its course. Aladdin Sane marked both a continuation and a farewell — the sound of an artist pushing his creation to its limits before shedding it entirely.
An auction lot of 2 x tour programmes from 1973 —with Duffy’s iconic imagery offer a vivid artefact of Bowie’s Aladdin Sane concerts..
Lot 20 Brian Duffy (1933-2010): Two copies of The David Bowie Tour 1973 programme for Aladdin Sane,1973.
Your Chance to Own an Icon
Half a century on, Aladdin Sane has transcended both music and photography to become an true icon. Appearing on everything from stamps to tea towels, the lightning bolt has become shorthand for Bowie himself, replicated endlessly yet never equalled.
The appearance of Duffy’s dye-transfer print at Bonhams offers a rare glimpse of the craftsmanship behind that image: a reminder that this was not merely a photograph but a piece of modern art created by hand, layer by layer.
Bowie’s story connitued to be archived and celebrated at the newly opened V&A East Storehouse, where the full Bowie Archive — from costumes to notebooks — is now on display. It’s a fitting continuation of the narrative that began in studios like Duffy’s, where image and imagination first collided.
““David Bowie was always an inspiration to me and a true original. He was wonderfully talented — a singer and songwriter who could play it all. He was always so innovative — he inspired people to take chances and to be themselves — he was fearless, and he was one of a kind.””
The Duffy Auction - Important Details
Auction bidding is open online. You will need to register with Bonhams to bid.
The Auction ends on Wednesday 5th November
Some lots, indicated with AR, are subject The Artist’s Resale Right (ARR) is calculated on a sliding scale between 0.25% and 4% of the hammer price, depending on the sale value, and is capped at €12,500 per sale. The rate starts at 4% for works up to €50,000, then gradually decreases for higher amounts. Check with the Auction team before bidding if you are unsure.
Lots can be viewed in person at Bonhams on New Bond Street until the auction closes.