Does President Trump’s dilettantism know no bounds? That question surfaced again this week, when it was announced that a doodle by Trump is up for auction.
In 2015, Trump created a sketch of the New York City skyline to benefit the “Pushing the Envelope” campaign for global literacy. Perhaps the sheer force of irony propelled the drawing out of the owner’s home and onto the auction block — the provenance is not disclosed.
The drawing, in gold marker, is of the Elementary School of art, with buildings depicted as simple boxes with peaked roofs. At the bottom of the drawing, there is a double swish that could be the FDR Highway, the Yellow Brick Road, or Manhattan being swept away by another superstorm caused by global warming.
Trump Tower, naturally, is in the center of the drawing. And even though it is the 64th-tallest building in the city, the doodle depicts it as the tallest.
The auction house’s complete description:
“Donald Trump hand-drawn and signed sketch of the New York City skyline, with Trump Tower at its center. Composed and signed ”Donald J Trump” in gold marker, artwork measures 11.5” x 9”, nicely matted against gold and framed to 18.5” x 16”. Light smudge and abrasion to right side, otherwise near fine condition. Originally drawn by Trump for a charity event, and very rare, with only a handful of such drawings known.”
The framed sketch is up for auction online at Nate and Sanders. The bidding ends July 27 at 8 p.m. The starting price is $9,000.
The art world is not Trump’s biggest fan. In May, an artist projected images onto Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C., which criticized the president’s financial ties to foreign governments. Last December, a pair of feminist artists created a piece using Trump’s quote about grabbing women’s genitals from the infamous Access Hollywood tape.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the bidding for Trump’s doodle was up to $9,900.
