Jay Chou Spends S$27.2Mil On Rare Henri Matisse Painting: "Never Thought This Dream Would Come True"

It's not unusual to see celebs dropping millions of dollars for rare collector's items.

For Jay Chou, the newest item in his collection is a painting by acclaimed French artist Henri Matisse.

"Back when I was in Nice, I used to spend a lot of time standing downstairs outside Henri Matisse’s home, looking up at the balcony by the window," wrote the 47-year-old Mandopop King shared about on Instagram recently. 

He revealed that he'd imagine the 20th century painter and sculptor "standing there too someday, staring out at the sunlight over Nice, lost in thought, before walking back into his studio to continue creating."

Jay also used to dream about one day being able to collect Matisse's works from that period in Nice.

"Never thought that today, the dream would actually come true," he wrote.

Based on the photo he shared, the painting Jay bidded for is titled The Morning Session (or La Séance du matin), an oil-on-canvas work by Matisse created in 1924.

The artwork is from Matisse’s famous “Nice period,” characterised by the luminous Mediterranean light, vibrant patterns, and depictions of a model working at her own easel.

Reports claim that Jay acquired the painting through a Sotheby’s auction. The auction house’s website shows that it was officially sold on Wednesday morning for a staggering US$20 million (S$27.2 million).

Jay is known to be an avid art collector who often references renowned artworks in his music. For instance, his recent 'Children of the Sun' music video included several references, including James McNeill Whistler’s iconic 1871 painting Whistler’s Mother.

The Mandopop King is reportedly also the owner of British painter Peter Doig’s Road Home (1991) and an art piece by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.