George Michael painting by Damien Hirst sold at charity auction for £460,000

A painting of the late George Michael, created by artist Damien Hirst, has been sold for £460,000 at a charity gala.

The painting, entitled 'Beautiful Beautiful George Michael Love Painting', was auctioned to raise funds for HIV and AIDS prevention and awareness. The charity gala was hosted by the Goss-Michael Foundation, founded by the late singer and his former partner Kenny Goss.

Kenny posted an image of the artwork on Instagram with the caption: "Amazing result of $580,000 for this painting". He went on to thank Damien Hirst for creating the piece for charity.

Damien Hirst, famously known for his works featuring pickled animals, including a cow and a shark, chose to depict the late singer in vibrant colours and household gloss.

The colours and gloss reflect the title of the painting, as well as George Michael's legacy of love and self-expression.

Read Elton John's touching tribute to the late artist here.