Lots of famous musicians have art collections, but Halsey just dropped some serious cash on a painting that has yet to be created.
Halsey attended AmfAR Venezia, an annual fundraiser for The Foundation for AIDS Research, on Aug. 31. According to Variety, as part of a live auction to raise even more money for the cause, famed artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel auctioned off the opportunity to have a portrait painted by him, using his signature technique of painting on broken plates.
Halsey bid nearly $557,000 before being caught in a bidding war with an anonymous buyer on the phone. Finally, Schnabel agreed to paint two portraits — one for Halsey and one for the other person — for 500,000 Euros each. That’s roughly $584,000.
“I own seven of his works already. He is my favorite living artist,” Halsey told Variety. “As soon as I found out that it was a personalized commission, I knew I was going to bid all the way.”
Asked where she’ll hang the work, she said, “I don’t know yet, but I’m hoping I’m going hang it for a long time,” she said. “I have a 4-year-old son, so I’m constantly thinking about my legacy. I know this will be a very important one.”
Halsey attended AmfAR because its work benefits research into the autoimmune disease lupus, as well as T-cell leukemia disorder, which Halsey was diagnosed with in 2022.
Halsey wasn’t the only pop star there, either: Ava Max closed out the evening by performing her hits “Kings and Queens” and “Sweet but Psycho.”
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