Bidding for this lot will end on Thursday, October 23rd. The auction will begin at 3:00PM BST (7:00AM PDT) and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Friday, October 24th.

A large, unique one-off oil-painting recreation of the famous cover artwork for Kiss' 1976 album Destroyer by the late fantasy artist Ken Kelly. Destroyer is widely considered as having one of rock history's most iconic album covers, and Kelly's original 1976 artwork for the album sold for $250,000 in April 2025.

With a career spanning more than 50 years, Kelly was a celebrated artist with many fans, including members of Kiss, who had seen his work in Warren Publishing horror magazines such as Creepy and Eerie. Although Gene Simmons was once thought to be the first who discovered the artist's work, it is now believed that drummer Peter Criss introduced Kelly's art to the band. They then asked if he'd be interested in creating the cover for their upcoming fourth album, Destroyer, and invited him to one of their concerts.

Blown away by the band's performance and larger-than-life personas, Kelly agreed and met up with Kiss and Casablanca Records art director Dennis Wollock to discuss what imagery they pictured for the album. They provided a brief which involved the band leaping forwards against a background of fire.

Kelly's initial artwork showed all four band members jumping in front of the remnants of a destroyed town, with a composition of smoke, rubble and flames. Although the band liked this initial design, it was rejected by the record company which deemed it too violent, and wanted the band's attire to be altered to match what they would be wearing on their upcoming tour. Kelly produced a second piece which toned down the background and added Kiss' new stage costumes. This was approved and used on the album. Kelly stated that creating this artwork was a "changing point in my career", and he would also be commissioned to produce the cover art for the band's sixth album, Love Gun.

This particular piece is a unique recreation of the cover artwork, hand-painted by Kelly himself in 2021. Incredibly detailed, the artwork was achieved using oil paints on stretched canvas. It is signed as "K.W. Kelly" and dated "'21" in light purple. The artist very rarely produced recreations of this artwork, making this lot a highly sought-after piece of Kiss memorabilia. It comes presented in a black wooden shadow box frame and is mounted under UV Plexiglass, which exhibits some very minor marks. Dimensions (framed): 107.25 cm x 107.25 cm x 7.5 cm (42.5" x 42.5" x 3")

Sold without copyright; see copyright notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Special shipping required; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Estimate: £10,000 - 20,000 Ω

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