The granddaughter of Picasso, Marina Picasso, and her son, Florian Picasso, will be releasing 1,010 NFTs of a hand painted ceramic work by Picasso at a Sotheby’s auction in March, the National reported.
So far, the Picassos have been reticent to reveal exactly which work will be converted into an NFT, but Marina described the work in general terms to the National. “It’s a work that represents a face, and it’s very expressive,” she said. “It’s joyful, happy. It’s one of those objects that have been part of our life, our intimate lives—my life with my children.”
The Sotheby’s auction in March will feature both the original physical work, which dates to 1958, and NFTs of it. “We’re trying to build a bridge between the NFT world and the fine art world,” Florian told the National.
Picasso’s great-grandson also suggested that this release was the first of many NFTs to be extracted from the family’s collection of the master’s work. Additionally, Florian’s own contributions will accompany each NFT. Florian, who is a DJ, made a track in collaboration with the singer John Legend and the rapper Nas. A family spokesperson told the National that the NFTs were meant to introduce Picasso to a younger generation. (Given the artist’s place in art history, however, it’s tough to argue that members of that generation are in need of such an introduction.)
The Picassos are not the only estate to tap into the NFT boom recently. John Lennon’s eldest son, Julian, tweeted that he is offering NFTs of Beatles memorabilia from his father’s storied musical past, like guitars, clothing, and a note written by Paul McCartney about the song “Hey Jude.” In fact, anyone with a tie to important artists and musicians seems to be attempting to squeeze some value from the spike in NFT-related activity. Photographer Faith West attended a Nirvana concert in 1991 and is now making NFTs of her rarely seen photos, reported Loudwire.
