Pink Floyd founding member Syd Barrett's earliest known painting up for auction

24 July 2024, 11:01 | Written by Tyler Damara Kelly

(News)

(Pink Floyd)

The earliest known existing work of art by Pink Floyd founding member, Roger Keith ‘Syd’ Barrett has been revealed to go under the hammer at Thomson Roddick Callan’s auction of fine art in Carlisle on 30 July.

The pastel and watercolour work was painted at home in Cambridge in 1963 while studying at Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology, where he met soon-to-be Pink Floyd member, David Gilmour. The following year, he enrolled at Camberwell College of Arts in London to study painting and in 1965 Pink Floyd began to emerge from London’s underground music scene to become one of the most influential psychedelic rock bands of all time. Unfortunately, Syd’s time with the band was brief due to various personal issues and he officially left the band in 1968 to pursue a solo career.

On 30 July, #PinkFloyd's #SydBarrett's earliest painting is auctioned via https://t.co/b868p08f6b. (Photos: The Syd Barrett Estate, Pink Floyd Music Ltd.-Pink Floyd 1987 Ltd) pic.twitter.com/9yag8Rh5q6
— Record Collector Mag (@RecCollMag) July 24, 2024

The painting, which is expected to fetch somewhere between £6000 and £8000, is currently owned by Carlisle resident Brian Wernham who originally purchased the painting via the 2006 Cheffins charity auction. Brian Wernham has also curated an exhibition of Syd Barrett’s work at the Ideas Generation Gallery attended by the likes of Storm Thorgerson, Graham Coxon, Noel Fielding, Captain Sensible and more.

To view the listing, visit thomsonroddick.com.