Five hundred artworks by Charles Bronson, one of England’s most infamous outsider artists, are set to be auctioned by UK auction house David Duggleby Auctioneers in Murton, according to the BBC. The works, which belong to a single owner, will be offered as one lot on March 11.
Now 73, Bronson was born Michael Peterson and currently calls himself Charles Salvador. A former bare-knuckle boxer, he was first sent to jail at the age of 21 for armed robbery. Attacks on prison inmates and staff, including an incident in which he took an education worker hostage for 44 hours, have led to his spending most of his life incarcerated. He is currently serving a life sentence, much of it spent in solitary confinement.
The works being offered were executed in crayon, ink, and pencil on paper and, according to the auction house, touch on themes of isolation and endurance. Because of the scarcity of art materials within prison, many of the pieces were created on old prison documents, David Duggleby auctioneer and specialist Coralie Thomson told the BBC.
Showings and sales of work by Bronson have led to controversy in the past: in 2010 a drawing put on view in a London tube station as part of a public art project drew fire from a victims’ group before mysteriously vanishing, and in 2018 five signed drawings were removed from an auction benefiting a homeless charity.
Nevertheless, Bronson’s work has sold in the past, with a 2014 auction of 200 drawings netting £30,000 ($35,000). The current offering is expected to bring between £100,000 and £200,000 ($115,000–$230,000). Through the auction house, the owner of the collection—who has asked to remain anonymous—told the BBC that Bronson would not benefit from the sale. They have not said what they plan to do with the proceeds.
