ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Anna Weyant and the Blurring of Artist and Influencer

opinion-review · 2026-07-19

A recent Substack newsletter emphasizes the significance of personal branding for artists, focusing on Anna Weyant, Jeanine Brito, and Chloe Wise, who have adeptly crafted their online identities. It references an essay from The Walrus titled "How Instagram Upended the Art World," which examines the platform's influence on the art market. Weyant, the youngest artist represented by Gagosian, has achieved sales in the millions and boasts over 175,000 followers on Instagram. Her artwork merges techniques from Dutch masters with personal narratives. The essay discusses the increasingly indistinct boundaries between artists and influencers, highlighting how effective branding can propel careers. Weyant, Brito, and Wise have partnered with brands such as Jacquemus and Dior, with their works appearing in Vogue and GQ.

Key facts

  • Anna Weyant is the youngest artist represented by Gagosian.
  • Weyant's paintings have sold for millions at auction.
  • Weyant has over 175,000 Instagram followers.
  • Weyant painted Kaia Gerber for a December 2024 Vogue cover edited by Marc Jacobs.
  • Jeanine Brito has 15,900 Instagram followers; Chloe Wise has 212,000.
  • Weyant, Brito, and Wise are Canadian painters.
  • The essay was published in The Walrus.
  • Weyant's work references seventeenth-century Dutch masters.

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Gagosian
  • The Walrus
  • Substack
  • Vogue
  • Maclean's
  • GQ
  • The Paris Review
  • Jacquemus
  • Dior
  • Reddit
  • Christie's
  • Whitney Museum of American Art

Locations

  • Calgary
  • Canada
  • New York City
  • United States

Sources