Tony Bennett’s artwork depicting NYC up for auction

Metro

By Dean Balsamini

Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but his artist’s eye loved the Big Apple.

The late superstar’s watercolor paintings of Central Park and sketches of the Empire State and Chrysler buildings are among a treasure trove of items expected to fetch thousands at an April 18-19 auction.

The Beverly Hills-based Julien’s Auctions will conduct the sale — “Tony Bennett: A Life Well Lived” — online and live at the Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame at Lincoln Center.

As an artist, Bennett’s “impressionistic oils and watercolors often depict natural settings such as Central Park, which his studio overlooks,” The Post noted in 2011.

The Queens native, born Anthony Dominick Benedetto, gives Central Park its closeup in a 2000 12-by-15-inch watercolor whose pre-sale value was $800, but bidding is already up to $1,250.

A 12-by- 9 grey paper drawing of the majestic Empire State Building is at $800 in bidding.

The “Rags to Riches” singer also sketched the stunning Art Deco-style Chrysler Building on blue paper. The dramatic drawing features an American flag.

Bidding on the 12-by-9 is up to $700.

Bennett sketched or painted every day and exhibited his work in numerous galleries around the world.

He was chosen as the official artist for the 2001 Kentucky Derby, and was commissioned by the United Nations to do two paintings, including one for its 50th Anniversary.

The highest pre-sale value [$20,000 to $30,000] in the mountain of memorabilia is a heartfelt note of appreciation from Martin Luther King Jr. for Bennett’s performance at the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.

“From Sinatra to DiMaggio to his landscapes of Central Park, this auction represents all the people and places Tony Bennett loved most about his life and hometown of New York,” said David Goodman, CEO of Julien’s. “New York was his muse that inspired his music and art especially for his artwork, many of which he created from his home studio,” he added.

The legendary pop, jazz and big-band vocalist, who won 20 Grammy Awards, died July 21 after a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

He was 96.

“It is astonishing to have the opportunity to view all these items in a collection such as this, which represent Tony’s remarkable life, but also embody a part of our shared American history,” said Danny Bennett, Tony’s son and long-time manager, in a statement announcing the sale. “Beyond his musical legacy, which is unparalleled and will continue to remain relevant, his lifetime of positive engagement impacted so many people and events. He did everything with such artistry, compassion and integrity which is a testament to the extraordinary person he was each and every day.”