Brad Pitt confers with Eli Broad, buys a Neo Rauch painting
Movie stars buy expensive art all the time. But how many of them seek the advice of L.A.'s collector-philanthropist extraordinaire, Eli Broad?
This week at the 40th Art Basel fair in Switzerland, Brad Pitt took some time to ponder a painting by the contemporary German artist Neo Rauch titled "Etappe," which depicts a scene at an automobile racetrack. The 1998 oil on linen work was featured at a booth by New York's David Zwirner Gallery.
Reports say that Pitt lingered in front of the painting, then walked away. He then returned in the company of Eli and Edythe Broad. The trio powwowed as passers-by took cellphone camera shots of the Hollywood actor. The threesome then walked away.
It turned out that Pitt eventually agreed to buy the painting for a reported $960,000.
This isn't the first time that Pitt has hobnobbed with an L.A. cultural titan. Several years ago, he worked as an apprentice for Frank Gehry and has more recently enlisted the starchitect's expertise on his New Orleans redevelopment project.
Click through to view a detail of the Rauch painting that soon will become part of the Pitt-Jolie residence (and possibly adorn the bedroom of Maddox, Shiloh, Zahara, etc.) ...
-- David Ng
Top photo: Brad Pitt seen recently at the Art Basel fair in Switzerland. Credit: Georgios Kefalas / EPA
Bottom photo: A detail of Neo Rauch's "Etappe" (1998). Courtesy: David Zwirner Gallery
Am I supposed to be in awe? PFFF he's Just an overpaid actor . His acting is not worth his paycheck.
Posted by: so what | June 10, 2009 at 08:13 PM
I like Neo Rauch, but that seems like a lot of money for a "young" collector to spend on an artwork--even if it is Brad Pitt. Brad, I'm going to recommend that you do your research and collect American artists to get started. I'll be Eli Broad didn't spend that kind of cash when he started his collection...
Posted by: lester | June 11, 2009 at 02:32 PM
Brad just made himself $10 million by purchasing this Neo Rauch.
Rauch is going to be one of the immortals (see Warhol, Pollock, Picasso, etc.), so $1 million for this large painting was a steal.
Posted by: Robert | June 20, 2009 at 10:35 AM