Saatchi loses his head

Charles Saatchi, the patron saint of Young British Arts, appears to be losing his faith - he is stripping his art collection of its best-known works.

The millionaire collector, 61, has discreetly sold one of his most famous pieces, Marc Quinn's "blood head", to an American for £1.5 million.

Entitled Self, the work consists of nine pints of Quinn's own blood, frozen by the artist in a mould of his head.

The deal represents a £1,487,000 profit for Saatchi, who bought it in 1991 when Quinn was unknown.

In 2002, it was reported to have melted when builders refurbishing a kitchen for Saatchi's wife, Nigella Lawson, unplugged the freezer in which it was stored.

The story was branded as false by both collector and artist.

The sale will deepen speculation that the mercurial Saatchi is cashing in on his most famous works to fund his new, more conservative fascination - paintings.

His South Bank gallery is showing a year-long exhibition of works he has identified as key modern canvasses, entitled The Triumph of Painting.

Saatchi apparently believes works by the YBA she made famous have peaked in value. He told The Art Newspaper that in 100 years they may be "nothing but footnotes" in art history.

Just three months ago, he sold another YBA signature work - Damien Hirst's pickled tiger shark - for £6.25million to another US collector.

Dead Dad, the 3ft long statue of artist Ron Mueck's naked father, and three other Mueck works - Angel, Mask and Pinocchio - have been offloaded from the Saatchi collection for an unknown sum.

Saatchi's Tracey Emin "tent", entitled Everyone I've Ever Slept With, was destroyed in a warehouse fire, but he still has her other most famous work, My Bed.

When Self, which must be kept at -12 degrees C, was exhibited in 1997's Sensation show at The Royal Academy, some visitors reported feeling faint at the sight of it.