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.
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.”
