He spent his youth in a hostel for the elderly and his adulthood living in warehouses with alcoholics and an embalmed tramp. He was fascinated by metaphysics, death and green linoleum, and painted jealousy, orgasms and still life.

Small wonder then, that an auction of the late British artist Robert Lenkiewicz’s estate was so eclectic. Taking place at Bearnes in Westpoint, Devon, it made more than £2 million.

When the impoverished artist died of a heart attack in August 2002, he had only £12 to his name and owed the Inland Revenue millions more. He was 60 years old, with a mistress and 11 children from seven partners. He had no bank account.

The 532 lots were gathered from Lenkiewickz’s nine Plymouth residences, known locally as the Cowboy’s Holiday Inns. The most expensive sale was a 36ft canvas depicting the temptation of St Anthony. It went for £203,150. One item not up for sale was the body of Edwin MacKenzie. The tramp’s body was found in a chest of drawers after the artist’s death.

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