Tiffany & Co. Campaign Featuring Basquiat Painting Goes Viral

Tiffany & Co. launched its 'About Love' campaign on August 24, 2021, featuring Beyoncé and Jay-Z alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1982 painting 'Equals Pi'. The campaign, directed by Emmanuel Adjei, includes a print edition and a film set to release on September 2. The painting, owned by Milanese collectors Alberto and Stefania Sabbadini since 1996, was acquired from Sotheby's for $250,000 and later privately sold to Tiffany, now under LVMH. The artwork had been out of the spotlight for 40 years, though it was photographed for 'W' magazine three years ago and exhibited at GAMeC in Bergamo in 2001. Beyoncé emulates Audrey Hepburn's iconic look from 'Breakfast at Tiffany's', wearing a Balmain dress, while Jay-Z references Basquiat's 1985 New York Magazine cover with cornrows. The Carters have a history with Basquiat; Jay-Z bought 'La Mecca' in 2013 for $4.2 million. Their music video 'Apeshit' was filmed at the Louvre. The campaign also features a 128-carat yellow diamond, previously worn by E. Sheldon Whitehouse, Audrey Hepburn, and Lady Gaga. Additionally, the 'MOOD 4 EVA' video, set in a California-style villa, includes references to classical art and fashion by Pier Paolo Piccioli and Riccardo Tisci, and highlights independent Black designers.