Florian Picasso, the late Spanish painter’s great-grandson, recently began selling NFTs inspired by his grandfather’s work.
The majority of the NFTs remain unsold when Florian was compelled to clarify that they were not official Pablo Picasso NFTs due to a family conflict.
NFTs by Pablo Picasso?
While that may seem certain to some collectors, the latest announcement sparked a family feud over the use of the Picasso name, and Picasso’s great-grandson, Florian, was forced to explain that these were not legitimate Pablo Picasso NFTs. And now the Ethereum NFTs inspired by the illustrious artist are failing to sell.
Florian Picasso, a DJ and music producer, and his mother, Marina Picasso, revealed intentions in January to make 1,011 NFT collectibles based on a never-before-seen painted porcelain bowl by Pablo Picasso from 1958.
“We’re trying to build a bridge between the NFT world and the fine art world,” Florian told The Associated Press in January.
However, family members took a contrary position. The Picasso Administration, which regulates the use of the Picasso name and any remaining Picasso assets held by relatives, released declarations stating that the NFTs would not be considered official Pablo Picasso works. The organization stated that Florian’s NFTs will be “his own creation, independent of any claim to Pablo Picasso and his masterpieces.”
‘Visage de Couleur’ NFTs out today 6.30pm ET time ! #ManAndTheBeat together with my mother Marina Picasso and collaborative artists @johnlegend and @nas ✨ @OriginProtocol — Florian Ruiz-Picasso (@florianpicasso) February 1, 2022
Florian followed with the drop, “Man and the Beat,” which Artnet reported was marketed as entirely his own work.
Florian’s NFT Sales
A limited-edition item sold for $41,500 on Nifty Gateway last week and featured an original piece of Pablo Picasso pottery, while ten additional NFTs sold for between $4,000 and $5,655 on the same marketplace—without the pottery.
Both Nifty Gateway drops have the disclaimer, “The NFT is a personal creation of Marina and Florian Picasso and is in no way associated with Pablo Picasso, his name, or his work.”
Florian additionally released 1,000 additional Ethereum NFTs inspired by his great-work grandfather’s via the Origin Protocol marketplace for 2 ETH ($6,011) each, but only roughly 100 of those—scattered among five editions—had sold as of this writing.
An NFT is a digital asset that functions as a deed of ownership for a single digital item. It can be used to represent digital artwork, video files, and files from interactive video games, among other things. According to DappRadar, the market will grow to $25 billion in trading volume by 2021, attracting a flood of brands and high-profile developers.
The Nifty Gateway NFTs incorporate audio from Florian Picasso’s new song “Tomorrow,” which he co-wrote with singer John Legend and rapper Nas—both of whom have made moves in the NFT field. Nas specifically addresses Pablo Picasso in the song’s lyrics. The Origin Protocol NFTs contain only the song’s backing track without vocals.
