Celebrity

Eddie Murphy claims he has the original copy of a famous work of art, but he didn't have to shell out millions. He shared the story of how he acquired 'The Sugar Shack.'

Published on February 23, 2023

Eddie Murphy is on the cusp of a career resurgence, after several years out of the spotlight. The iconic comedian has a new movie on Netflix and several major projects in the works. To promote his latest film, he’s been making the rounds on the late-night talk show circuit, opening up about his life and noteworthy moments in his career.

Murphy is known not only for his comedic brilliance, but for his wealth as well. In a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Murphy revealed that he is the owner of an extremely valuable painting, a copy of which sold last year for a record-breaking amount. 

‘The Sugar Shack’ is known as an iconic painting

Many paintings have become iconic in pop culture. But the Ernie Barnes work “The Sugar Shack” is one of the most pervasive. The painting features Black men and women dancing in a club, feeling the beat, and enjoying the power of musical connection. Barnes, who grew up in the American South during an era when racial segregation was common, said that he was inspired to create the painting after remembering a time in his childhood when he was not able to go to a dance he wanted to go to at age 11, according to Face 2 Face Africa.

It didn’t take long for the painting to gain prominence around the world. This is thanks partially to the fact that musical artist Marvin Gaye used it as an album cover for his 1976 album I Want You. “The Sugar Shack” was also used in the opening and closing credits of the popular 1970s sitcom Good Times.

Eddie Murphy admitted that he owns ‘The Sugar Shack’ original painting

People love “The Sugar Shack” both for the beautiful visuals and for the message behind the painting. Murphy is one of those devotees. As he revealed in a recent interview with Kimmel, he actually purchased the original painting from Marvin Gaye’s estate. “I have that painting,” Murphy said. “I think I paid $50,000 for that picture. After Marvin Gaye passed away, I bought it from his estate.”

Kimmel pointed out that Murphy must be really rich if he owns the painting. Murphy responded “I got that painting.” Murphy also noted that a replica of “The Sugar Shack” was recently sold at auction, noting, “The duplicate of that painting just sold at Christie’s for like $16,000,000. I have the real one.”

A copy of ‘The Sugar Shack’ sold for an astronomical sum in May 2022

Murphy is certainly sitting on a gold mine with his admission that he owns the original painting. As he shared in the interview, in May 2022, a replica of “The Sugar Shack,” (which was then reported as being the original) was sold by Christie’s auction house for a sum of $15.3 million, according to Deadline. The sale set an auction record for Barnes’ work by more than 27 times the artist’s previous record. Additionally, Deadline reports that the sale amount was 76 times the high estimate of $200,000.

Houston-based energy trader Bill Perkins was the high bidder among 22 interested buyers. He told The New York Times he would have gone higher. “I would have paid a lot more,” he said. “For certain segments of America, [‘The Sugar Shack’ is] more famous than the ‘Mona Lisa.'” While Murphy could certainly make big money if he ever chose to sell “The Sugar Shack,” it seems as though the beloved comedian intends to hold on to his prized possession.

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