Johnny Depp took in over $3.5 million in a matter of minutes after putting prints of his paintings of culture icons including Bob Dylan and Keith Richards up for sale Thursday.
The “Pirates of the Caribbean” actor, fresh off his legal victory over ex-girlfriend Amber Heard, sold 780 prints through Castle Fine Arts 37 British galleries. The portraits sold within hours of the sale’s announcement on Instagram.
“I’ve always used art to express my feelings,” Depp said. “My paintings surround my life, but I kept them to myself and limited myself. No one should ever limit themselves.”
Johnny Depp and his art, tell me is there anything this man can’t do? pic.twitter.com/ZOcGi8lEQz
— Sophie 🥀 (@finelinevenus) July 28, 2022
Depp’s “Friends And Heroes collection” features four people the actor says have inspired him and “who matter most to me, like my family, friends and people I admire.” In addition to Dylan and Richards, the collection includes portraits of Elizabeth Taylor and Al Pacino.
Individual prints sold for just under $5,000, while the complete set went for $18,000.
The gallery described the 59-year-old actor’s work as existing “at the intersection of pop art and street art” and as “pop art with feeling.” It had long been in talks with Depp about staging an exhibition and sale of his work, and intends to continue promoting Depp’s art in the future.
In addition to acting and painting, Depp is an accomplished musician, playing guitar in his rock band the Hollywood Vampires and most recently jamming with guitar legend Jeff Beck while his dueling defamation trial with Heard took place in Fairfax, Virginia. A jury on June 1 found that Heard defamed Depp in an op-ed about domestic violence published by The Washington Post in 2018, awarding Depp $15 million in damages. The claim was then reduced to $10.35 million due to a limit on punitive damages under Virginia law.
Speculation has swirled about whether he will return to his signature role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the “Pirates” franchise. But a report that Disney had offered him over $300 million to reprise the character he says is loosely based on Richards were quickly shot down by Depp’s handlers.
“This is made up,” Depp’s spokesperson told NBC News in a statement.