Rare school days painting by Syd Barrett up for auction

Orange Dahlias in a Vase is going under the hammer in Cambridge

Syd Barrett in 1967

Author: Scott ColothanPublished 11th May 2021
Last updated 11th May 2021

A rare school days painting by Pink Floyd co-founder Syd Barrett that he gifted to his art teacher 60 years ago will go under the hammer later this month.

The decidedly Van Gogh-esque watercolour and pastels picture is named Orange Dahlias in a Vase, and Syd Barrett created it aged 15 in October 1961 when he was a pupil at Cambridgeshire High School for Boys.

The late music icon's future band mate Roger Waters and Pink Floyd artist Storm Thorgerson also attended Cambridgeshire High School for Boys at the same time.

As a parting gift, Barrett personally gave the painting to art teacher Gerald Harden and signed it ‘R. Barrett. / Oct. 1961’ shortly before he went to study art at Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology.

Orange Dahlias in a Vase is estimated to fetch £3,000 - £5,000 at the Cheffins Art & Design Sale in Cambridge on Thursday 27th May 2021.

Syd Barrett - Orange Dahlias in a Vase (1961):

Syd Barrett's Orange Dahlias in a Vase painting

Gerald Harden’s son, Philip Harden, who currently owns the painting and was a boyhood friend of Roger ‘Syd’ Barrett and Roger Waters, says: “I used to go and visit Roger on a regular basis and I even remember playing cowboys and Indians and watching the first Doctor Who shows with him and Roger Waters back in the 1960s. They both went off to art college and disappeared from my life and the next time I saw them they were Pink Floyd.

“Roger Barrett was a kind and thoughtful person, with a joyful and almost childlike wit and humour. He was a great fun person to be around in those early days and he was incredibly creative, and would often be seen painting for hours on end.

“I remember my father bringing this picture back home after Roger had given it to him, it had been put up on the wall in the classroom and my father kept it as part of his portfolio. It has something incredibly special about it and I would recognise it immediately as his style at the time, he was a very gifted artist.

“We have decided to sell it as it has been in storage for some years now and we feel it is time for someone else to enjoy it. We know that Roger Barrett became a worldwide phenomenon; he stood for so many things in different people’s minds, and we think there must be someone amongst his army of fans who could really treasure it.”

Brett Tryner, Director at Cheffins, adds: “Syd Barrett remains one of the greatest icons in the world of rock music, and while he is foremost known as the founder of Pink Floyd, he was also a talented and accomplished artist.

“Although the pictures from his later life have been well-publicised, this present lot is a window into the artwork of his earlier days, before he went on to create the band which changed the world of music throughout the sixties.

“There are few original pictures by Syd Barrett still in existence, especially as during the later years he took to finishing a painting, photographing it and then burning the canvas. The picture on offer at this sale therefore presents a rare opportunity to purchase a painting from Barrett’s early days and is bound to be of special significance for his legions of fans both in Cambridge and from further afield.”

You can find out more about the Syd Barrett auction right here.

In November 2006, four months after Syd Barrett’s death aged 60, nine of his paintings were sold for £121,000 at a Cheffins auction with proceeds used to fund art training in Cambridge.

Introducing Planet Rock Premium:

Planet Rock Premium is our new subscription service. Listen live with no ad breaks, skip up to 6 tracks per hour and access exclusive on-demand music, shows and specials. Start your 30 day free trial. Find out more here.

The real names of famous rock stars, including Syd Barrett:

Cozy Powell’s real name: Colin Trevor Flooks

Alex Lifeson’s real name: Alexandar Živojinović

'Lifeson' is a semi-literal English translation of the Yugoslavian surname Živojinović, which means 'son of life'

Ginger Baker's real name: Peter Edward Baker

John 5’s real name: John William Lowery

Yngwie Malmsteen’s real name: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback

Rudy Sarzo’s real name: Rodolfo Maximiliano Sarzo Lavieille Grande Ruiz Payret y Chaumont

Eric Carr's real name: Paul Charles Caravello

Vinnie Vincent’s real name: Vincent John Cusano

Tina Turner’s real name: Anna Mae Bullock

King Diamond’s real name: Kim Bendix Petersen

Joey Tempest's real name: Rolf Magnus Joakim Larsson

Michael Monroe’s real name: Matti Antero Kristian Fagerholm

Mikkey Dee’s real name: Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou

Jonathan Cain’s real name: Jonathan Leonard Friga

Nikki Sixx's real name: Frank Ferrano

Steven Adler’s real name: Michael Coletti

Axl Rose's real name: William Bruce Rose

Bon Scott's real name: Ronald Belford Scott

Fish’s real name: Derek William Dick

Eddie Vedder's real name: Edward Louis Severson III

Peter Criss’ real name: George Peter John Criscuola

Freddie Mercury's real name: Farrokh Bulsara

Flea's real name: Michael Peter Balzary

Perry Farrell's real name: Perry Bernstein

Geddy Lee’s real name: Gary Lee Weinrib

Mick Mars' real name: Robert Deal

Tré Cool's real name: Frank Edwin Wright III

Courtney Love's real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison

Pat Smear's real name: Georg Albert Ruthenberg

Gene Simmons' real name: Chaim Klein Witz

Spike’s real name: Jonathan Gray

Iggy Pop's real name: James Newell Osterberg, JR.

Alice Cooper's real name: Vincent Damon Furnier

Slash's real name: Saul Hudson

Mike Dirnt's real name: Michael Ryan Pritchard

Ronnie James Dio's real name: Ronald James Padavona

Brody Dalle's real name: Bree Joanna Alice Robinson

Skin's real name: Deborah Anne Dyer

Nicky Wire's real name: Nicholas Jones

Amy Lee's real name: Amy Lynn Hartzler

Bill Wyman's real name: William Perks

Izzy Stradlin's real name: Jeffrey Isbell

Paul Stanley's real name: Stanley Eisen

Vince Neil's real name: Vincent Neil Wharton

Duff McKagan's real name: Michael McKagan

Jack Black’s real name: Thomas Jacob Black

Lemmy's real name: Ian Fraser Kilmister

John Paul Jones' real name: John Baldwin

Joan Jett's real name: Joan Larkin

Eric Clapton's real name: Eric Patrick Clapp

Siouxsie Sioux's real name: Susan Janet Ballion

Rachel Bolan’s real name: James Richard Southworth

David Bowie's real name: David Robert Hayward Stenton Jones

Little Richard's real name: Richard Wayne Penniman

Sid Vicious' real name: John Simon Ritchie

Ace Frehley's real name: Paul Daniel Frehley

Lou Reed's real name: Louis Firbank

Joe Strummer's real name: John Graham Mellor

Marc Bolan's real name: Mark Feld

The Edge's real name: David Howell Evans

Meat Loaf's real name: Marvin Lee Aday

Steven Tyler's real name: Steven Victor Tallarico

Ozzy Osbourne's real name: John Michael Osbourne

Jon Bon Jovi's real name: John Francis Bongiovi

Joey Belladonna’s real name: Joseph Bellardini

Jack White's real name: John Anthony Gillis

Bono's real name: Paul David Hewson

Sting's real name: Gordon Sumner

Billy Idol’s real name: William Michael Albert Broad

Geezer Butler’s real name: Terence Butler

Pat Benatar’s real name: Patricia Mae Giraldo

Bo Diddley’s real name: Ellas McDaniel

Muddy Waters’ real name: McKinley Morganfield

Stevie Nicks’ real name: Stephanie Lynn Nicks

Doro’s real name: Dorothee Pesch

Sebastian Bach’s real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk

Joe Perry’s real name: Joseph Pereira

Jimi Hendrix’s real name: James Marshall Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix)

Zakk Wylde’s real name: Jeffrey Phillip Wielandt

Maynard James Keenan’s real name: James Herbert Keenan

Blaze Bayley’s real name: Bayley Alexander Cooke

Biff Byford's real name: Peter Rodney Byford

M. Shadows' real name: Matthew Charles Sanders

Syd Barrett's real name: Roger Keith Barrett

Chris Jericho's real name: Christopher Keith Irvine

Ginger Wildheart's real name: David Leslie Walls

Paul Di'Anno's real name: Paul Andrews

Phil X’s real name: Theofilos Xenidis

Peter Green’s real name: Peter Allen Greenbaum

Nicko McBrain’s real name: Michael Henry McBrain

Noddy Holder’s real name: Neville John Holder

Steel Panther’s real names

Michael Starr: Ralph Michael Saenz, Satchel: Russell John Parrish, Stix Zadinia: Darren Leader, Spyder: Joe Lester.