Tony Bennett’s Nude Portrait of Lady Gaga Now Available on eBay

Current Zoomer cover star Tony Bennett has long been recognized for his extraordinary musical talents but still unbeknownst to many, Bennett is also quite an accomplished artist. In fact, our Winter 2011 cover features some spur-of-the-moment artwork by the 85-year-old crooner (check it out here). With the recent release of his Duets II album featuring singers such as Lady Gaga and Amy Winehouse, Bennett has not only able to connect with young performers, but he has also successfully connected with a much younger audience too.

This past Monday, Bennett released a tastefully done nude portrait of Lady Gaga that he did following the recording of their song “The Lady Is a Tramp.” Yeah, we weren’t quite expecting him to connect with the younger generation in this way either. The charcoal drawing is already causing an Internet firestorm, and now fans have the chance to own the original art piece. The drawing is being auctioned off to benefit Gaga’s anti-bullying foundation, Born This Way, and Bennett’s Exploring the Arts, dedicated to fostering arts education. As of today, the top bid is $13,800. Gaga expressed some level of discomfort about posing nude for the legendary singer.She was quoted as saying, “I walked in and said, ‘Well Tony, here we are’ and I dropped my robe and I got into position, I felt shy and thought, ‘It’s Tony Bennett! Why am I naked?’ “

The auction closes on Dec. 19 so hurry up and get those bids in!

-Brooke Benjamin