This David Bowie Image Is The Ultimate Tribute

In an unexpected news, Rock and Roll Hall-Of-Famer David Bowie died after fighting cancer for more than a year, his official social media accounts reported Sunday. After celebrating his birthday just two days earlier, the singer was 69 at the time of his death. With a five-decades career, Bowie commanded a strong fan base, and immediately after news of his death broke, they came out to celebrate his life and in particular, shared this one extraordinary GIF of Bowie that perfectly captured the essence of who he was as an artist.

From Ziggy Stardust to experimental jungle music, Bowie was an inventor. Or a reinventor, I should say, constantly changing his sound and his persona to explore new facets of his artistry. From the 1960s to today, Bowie released a staggering 28 albums, and none of them were exactly the same. Even his latest venture Blackstar, which was released Friday, had critics' approval.

It's for that reason that this one image, by UK artist Helen Green, has resonated so strongly with fans. The GIF was first shared last January to honor his 68th birthday and shows Bowie's physical transformation as an artist. You see a glimpse of Ziggy and a bit of "Space Oddity," and yes, a little Heathen is thrown in there as well. The whole thing lets you time travel back through Bowie's astonishing career — in five seconds or less.

Green appears to be a huge Bowie fan and has other pieces of artwork dedicated to him on her Tumblr and Twitter page.

It's clear the legend that is Bowie will be missed.