David Bowie's legendary art collection earned over $30 million in its first day at auction at Sotheby's.

The auction, featuring 47 of the more in-demand pieces of art hitting the block, including paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Frank Auerbach and Damien Hirst, earned an estimated $30.3 million.

Sotheby's is hosting the two-day Bowie/Collector auction featuring 350 works, which was 65-percent of Bowie's entire art collection.

"David Bowie used his art to understand his place in the world," said curator Beth Greenacre.

"He was an amazing historian. He was always looking backward to understand the present - and even prophesied about the future, I think."

Basquiat's "Air Power" sold for approximately $8.8 million; its pre-auction estimate was $3.3 million.

Another piece that tripled pre-auction estimates was "Beautiful, hallo, space boy painting," a collaboration between Hirst and Bowie.

The circle canvas with a seven-foot diameter sold for $975,000.%MCEPASTEBIN%