MICHAEL JACKSON "THE BOOK" PORTRAIT

Michael Jackson portrait for sale on Ebay for $5.4 million
Thursday, April 08, 2010 Posted by Corinne Heller at 08:07:12 AM

An oil painting of Michael Jackson called "The Book" and touted as the only one for which the King of Pop has ever posed has been put up on ebay but you can buy it now for $5.4 million.

The 50-by-40 inch portrait shows Jackson in a Renaissance-era red velvet jacket and seated on a stool on a checkerboard floor at at his Neverland Ranch, beside a table holding a vase of flowers, while holding a book that is "significant in his life," the auction states.

Above him is a sweeping curtain. Behind Jackson's right

shoulder is a statue of Peter Pan, the legendary boy that refused

to grow up and a character the singer, who died last June, had always admired.

The title of the book is not shown. The flowers represent
"Jackson's love of nature," the auction says.

Opening bids for the portrait, which was painted by Australian artist
Brett-Livingstone Strong, begin at $2.75 million.

The auction is set to end on April 17 or if someone purchases
the painting at its "Buy It Now" price before a lower bid is made.

"Thank you for giving someone else the opportunity to own this beautiful painting of Michael," an unnamed viewer of the eBay listing wrote on the website. "Although this item is out of my price range, it was a pleasure to view this painting on your auction."

The Ebay user that posted this portrait was Alwaysmalibu18
it took no bidders. put up for auction on Ebay,

MICHAEL JACKSON "THE BOOK" PORTRAIT OIL PAINTING - eBay (item 200458936072 end time Apr-17-10 19:00:39 PDT)

Michael Jackson portrait for sale on Ebay for $5.4 million OnTheRedCarpet.com