Words: Nathan Chadwick | Photos: Anglia Car Auctions
Chris Rea is to auction 68 pieces of his art dedicated to his motoring passion – Ferrari.
The collection of paintings, entitled La Passione, began being crafted after Rea produced his 1996 film La Passione, the semi-autobiographical story about a young boy’s fascination for his racing idol, Wolfgang von Tripps. Von Tripps was killed in a Ferrari 156 at the 1961 Monza Grand Prix. Rea’s Italian-born father owned an ice cream factory in Middlesborough, and would take Chris to Grand Prix races at Monza and the Mille Miglia. Rea was there to witness the late Sir Stirling Moss take victory at the latter in 1955.
Rea, who is most famous for music such as Fool If You Think It’s Over, Driving Home For Christmas, On The Beach and more, started painting as a way to express his passion for motor sport. The artworks themselves are crafted using pigments and paints found in Florence, and applied to board and canvas. Found material is often used to layer and build each surface, before being sealed with a multi-layered glaze or housed in a heavy framework.
Rea has only ever offered one other collection for sale; the Hofner Blue collection was bought by a private individual for an undisclosed amount several years ago. This collection is to be put up for sale by Anglia Car Auction in King’s Lynn, UK, on November 5 and 6; it will be open to public viewings on November 3 and 4. More details can be found here.
