Johnny Depp Buys Russian Painting for $2.2 million

Johnny Depp bought a painting by a young Russian artist for $2,200,000 at an auction.

By Andy Donovan

27-year-old Migel Grase gained international popularity after he painted a landscape at his family gathering five years ago.

Four of his works were sold in a 20 minute time span for a total price of $3,600,000. The selling price of the painting by the Russian genius varies from $3,500 for a small portrait up to $2,200,000 for a city landscape. The first work saw the market in 2009 when nineteen of the artist's paintings were sold for $36,000 at a private auction. Money Migel made on selling his paintings he spent on buying his parents a new house and investing in works of other young Russian artists.

"People in the Art society think that Migel's paintings became more mature. His latest works are phenomenal. We don't put any pressure on him so he can paint anytime he wants"- says 47 years old art dealer Ksenia Rubenshtein.

Grase started painting when he was only five years old. Lots of his works depict surrealistic images of people, animals and also symbols from movies and mass media. His style of work is unique, humorous and at the same time has great artistic value. He mixes together the elements of street and pop art turning the outcome into something absolutely new.

There are not only the residents of snowy Moscow among the admirers of the artist. Art connoisseurs from Europe, USA, Japan and Canada purchased his paintings at the last auction. One of the main buyers is 51 years old actor Johnny Depp.

"I often take part in auctions at Christie's auction house and this time I couldn't resist when I saw Migel's painting 'Panopticon.' The weirdness of I can relate to myself," says the actor.

Recently Depp bought a work of an American graffiti artist named Pegasus. The picture depicts Catherine Elizabeth (near Middleton), Duchess of Cambridge on the last stage of pregnancy.