Previously Unseen Basquiat Painting Steals The Show from Beyoncé and JAY-Z in New Tiffany’s Ad
The iconic luxury jeweler reportedly acquired the never-before-seen 1982 Jean-Michel Basquiat painting from a private collector.
This morning, Tiffany & Co. unveiled the first image from a new ad campaign, starring Beyoncé and JAY-Z. Arguably music’s most luxurious couple, The Carters were a natural fit for the spot. But it wasn’t the EVERYTHING IS LOVE duo, or Beyonce donning the iconic 128-carat Tiffany Diamond, that caught the internet’s eye this morning. A quick survey of reactions to the campaign makes it clear the real star of the still is a never-before-seen painting by the late Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Titled Equals Pi, the 1982 painting was acquired by Tiffany’s from a private collector, almost certainly due to its use of the company’s signature shade of blue. Tiffany & Co. VP of Products and Communications, Alexandre Arnault, spoke with WWD about putting the painting in the spotlight for their latest campaign. “We don’t have any literature that says he made the painting for Tiffany,” Arnault tells the publication. “But we know a little bit about Basquiat. We know his family. We did an exhibition of his work at the Louis Vuitton Foundation a few years back. We know he loved New York, and that he loved luxury and he loved jewelry. My guess is that the [blue painting] is not by chance. The color is so specific that it has to be some kind of homage,” Arnault claimed.
The image circulating on socials today is just the beginning of The Carters’ campaign with Tiffany’s. A video is soon to follow, featuring Beyoncé singing her own interpretation of Henry Mancini’s “Moon River,” which was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 classic, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The video, debuting on September 2nd, is reportedly shot by JAY-Z on a Super 8 camera and directed by Beyoncé’s Black is King collaborator, Emmanuel Adjei.
See The Carters’ co-star in a Tiffany’s ad with a previously unseen Basquiat painting below.