Johnny Depp sells debut art collection for $3.6 million

Johnny Depp made around $3.65 million (£3 million) in a matter of hours when his debut art collection went on sale on Thursday.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star sold 780 prints as part of his Friends & Heroes collection - four paintings of people who inspire him - through Castle Fine Art's U.K. galleries on Thursday.

Johnny's collection features portraits of Rolling Stones rocker Keith Richards - the inspiration for Captain Jack Sparrow - Elizabeth Taylor, Bob Dylan, and Al Pacino. Framed individual pieces sold for $4,800 (£3,950) each while the sets of four sold for $18,000 (£14,950) each.

All 780 pieces sold within hours of being announced on Thursday, with the initial rush of traffic to the company's website causing it to crash.

In a press release, the gallery called Johnny's work "pop art with feeling", further describing it as existing "at the intersection of pop art and street art".

The 59-year-old explained his relationship with art in the brochure for the collection. He is quoted as saying: "I've always used art to express my feelings and to reflect on those who matter most to me, like my family, friends and people I admire. My paintings surround my life, but I kept them to myself and limited myself. No one should ever limit themselves."

The sale comes weeks after Johnny's high-profile court case against his ex-wife Amber Heard in the U.S. Following the trial, a jury found Amber liable for defaming her ex-husband in a 2018 Washington Post op-ed and he was awarded more than $10 million (£8 million) in damages.

The jury also found the Edward Scissorhands actor liable for defaming Amber with one statement made by his former lawyer and she was awarded $2 million (£1.6 million).

The Aquaman actress has filed an appeal.