Meet Anna Weyant, the ‘millennial Botticelli’ making millions: the Canadian-born artist rose to fame on Instagram and was signed by Gagosian – but is she really dating a 77-year-old gallery founder?
- The New York-based artist made a lucrative sale of her painting Falling Woman for US$1.6 million at a Sotheby’s auction – her works also sold through Christie’s and Phillips
- She made history as Gagosian’s youngest artist, joining veterans like Currin, Theaster Gates and Michael Heizer, but there are rumours she’s dating the founder
The art world is abuzz with a new name: meet New York-based, Canadian-born artist Anna Weyant, 27, who made headlines with a US$1.6 million sale of her Falling Woman painting. The piece was sold at Sotheby’s May auction, at over a million bucks more than its estimated US$150,000 valuation.
Weyant’s work, made popular via Instagram, has resulted in her being dubbed a millennial Botticelli by The Wall Street Journal. Known for drawing influences from the 17th century Dutch Golden Age, Weyant expertly blends historical elements with contemporary popular culture.
With her works on sale at prestigious auctions by Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips, Weyant is definitely a rising artist to be on the lookout for. Here’s everything you need to know about her …
Her debut in art is quite extraordinary
Born in Calgary, Canada, Weyant moved and graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 2017, because “it was the closest school to the city that accepted her”, per The Wall Street Journal.
She said her joining the art programme was simply a gutsy move. She told Juxtapoz Magazine, “I did a pre-college summer programme at the Art Institute of Chicago just for fun. It was just a summer camp, basically, and I saw Valdez and Grant Wood and really loved them. I thought I’d just give it a try. Yeah, it sounds crazy.”
