Beyoncé and Jay-Z appear alongside an unseen Jean-Michel Basquiat painting in a new Tiffany & Co. ad.
The new ad is part of the Tiffany & Co. campaign ABOUT LOVE, which officially launches on September 2nd.
The iconic duo are front and centre in the ad, alongside an unseen painting from Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The piece is called Equals Pi, and has lain in the collection of a private individual for decades, until it was acquired by luxury conglomerate LVMH.
Basquiat uses a blue tint made famous by Tiffany & Co. in their branding, something the brand acknowledge in the press materials for the ad.
In a note, it is said that the painting was used as art is a "common thread throughout the Carters’ love story."
The move has caused a stir online, however; Basquiat was initially a graffiti artist, someone whose work appeared for free on the streets of New York.
Jay Z cosplaying as Basquiat is hilarious to me pic.twitter.com/JBRQ3hzUB8
— Spider-Mane (@yungseafx) August 23, 2021
insane to me that rich people can just buy art from artists who have passed and no one else gets to see it, kinda gross imo like these pieces should be able to be seen by everyone, thats literally what basquiat woulda wanted https://t.co/GVb3lRSkAE
— (@__lukec) August 23, 2021
they been hiding a basquiat for decades just to use it for a Tiffany’s ad? https://t.co/LH0XiXbEu9
— phinneas flynn (@ScBayScJohnson) August 23, 2021
Jay-Z is a long-time fan and admirer of Jean-Michel Basquiat's work – alongside referencing him in his lyrics, he also owns a $4.5 million work completed by the famed artist.
