In 2005, Donald Trump drew the above sketch of the Manhattan Skyline. It was the same year that Mike Kelley showed his [“Day is Done”](http://mikekelley.com/portfolio/day-is-done/) exhibit at the Gagosian Gallery in New York and Ed Ruscha announce [“THEN & NOW,”](https://www.gagosian.com/exhibitions/october-27-2005--ed-ruscha) a set of photographs that documented Hollywood Boulevard in its humble beginnings and contemporary façade. In the music industry, Kanye West came out with “Gold Digger,” Rihanna sang “Pon de Replay,” and The Black Eyed Peas produced “My Humps.” It was an iconic year for art.
Trump’s drawing was originally sold at a charity auction fundraising for child literacy. The “artwork” made its way through the hands of the highest bidder to LA’s Nate D. Sanders auction house. Given that it’s now a creation of a U.S. President, it’s attracted more attention than usual auction house pieces. It finally sold Thursday night for a whopping $29,184—a number that doesn’t break any records, but certainty puts a high price on an amateur sketch.
The piece joins only one other drawing by Trump, which also depicts the New York City skyline. However, it’s unlikely this marks the start of the President’s artistic endeavors. And if it does, let's hope he expands his repertoire to include a more diverse range of images. Or maybe it won’t. Maybe Trump will make his next million with a series of rough sketches of the city’s skyline—that all prominently feature Trump Tower in the middle.
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Written by: Brianna Di Monda
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