Francis Bacon Triptych Offered as $100 Shares on New Art Stock Exchange Platform

A 1963 Francis Bacon triptych, Three Studies for a Portrait of George Dyer, is being offered in fractional shares priced at $100 each through Artex, a regulated platform described as a stock exchange for art. The painting, depicting Bacon's lover George Dyer from three perspectives, was purchased at Christie's in 2017 for $51.8 million including fees. Artex currently values the work at $55 million. Up to 70% of the painting will be available for investment, with initial trading opening on June 19. The current owner will retain 10% ownership. The platform is regulated by the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority and holds an EU license. This marks the first artwork offered through Artex's fractional ownership model. The painting previously hung in author Roald Dahl's home in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. Another Bacon work, 3 Works: Studies Of Lucian Freud, sold for £89.4 million in 2013, placing it just outside the top twenty most expensive paintings ever sold at auction. Yassir Benjelloun-Touimi, a former investment banker and Artex co-founder, discussed the offering with the Financial Times.