Basquiat at Tiffany’s?

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

The highly anticipated Fall 2021 ad campaign by Tiffany & Company features the incredibly glamorous (and ultimate power couple) Beyoncé and Jay-Z, but no one seems to be talking about Bey and Hova. No one’s even commenting on the 128-carat diamond that Beyoncé wears in an homage to Audrey Hepburn’s Holly Golightly, the main character of the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” All anyone wants to talk about is the inclusion of a large painting by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Why are people so fixated on this painting?

There’s quite a bit to unpack, but let’s get the most obvious question out of the way first…

Did Jean-Michel Basquiat deliberately utilize Tiffany & Company’s trademark blue in one of his paintings?

The current executive vice president of the company seems to think so and even went so far as to call it an “homage.”

At that suggestion, the art world collectively choked on its incredulity.

There are a number of questions that pop up when an artwork like this is used as a “backdrop” for a commercial ad campaign of a luxury brand of jewelry. The painting itself is owned by LVMH – currently worth $172 billion – who also owns Tiffany & Company. This painting, known as “Equals Pi,” is rarely seen in the public realm. What does a multi-billion dollar company do with artwork it buys if it does not share it with the public at large?

Of course, there are a whole host of questions that are swirling around this ad campaign. What about the inherent racism associated with the diamond trade at large? What about the so-called “casual” racism of the film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s?” What about the commercialism of art? Should artwork be relegated to the (literal) background of a campaign that celebrates luxury and celebrity?

Do ad campaigns like this suggest that art is only for the extremely wealthy and the wildly famous? Yes, this campaign exposed the world to a rarely seen Basquiat painting, but where is that painting now? Does it go back into cold storage in a foreign freeport until the next marketing genius with a minor in art history has their next bright idea?

Tiffany & Company claims the painting will hang in its flagship store on Fifth Avenue, but there is no timetable for its installation. Honestly… I don’t know if that makes me feel any better.

What are your thoughts?

Do you see a bright side or a more positive take on this story?

I would love to hear what you think!

For more info on this story, please visit…

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Tiffany’s Wants You to Think It Inspired a Blue Basquiat Painting

4 thoughts on “Basquiat at Tiffany’s?”

      1. If only we could ask Basquait what his in intention was. On, the positive side, I agree with the first comment and….. we and others are talking about his work.

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The Wandering Art Historian's avatar
I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.