Sinéad O'Connor nude portrait fetches €15,000

A naked portrait of Sinéad O’Connor was sold for €15,000 tonight at an auction in Dublin.

The portrait of O’Connor was originally destined to hang in a Dublin nightclub but was bought by the singer and then put up for sale.

A spokesman for Whyte’s Auctioneers said that the price rose from €11,000 to €15,000 after the intervention of several bidders.

The picture, called Strange Days, shows her as a reclining nude on a purple sheet, wearing only a necklace and stockings, with her face reflected in a mirror.

In the background is the Pigeon House area of Dublin, which was included at O’Connor’s request.

The painting’s creator is the well-known Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick. It is signed by Fitzpatrick and, on the reverse, by Sinéad O’Connor.

Fitzpatrick is a friend of the controversial music star – who recently announced her comeback – and first painted her for the cover of her album Faith and Courage in 2000.

The Dublin-born artist and graphic designer has also worked with rock group Thin Lizzy.