Pig-artist Picasso dies: he earned more than a million dollars (photo)

Picasso, an extremely talented pig whose paintings were sold for more than a million dollars and who was proclaimed "the most successful non-human artist in world history," died at the age of 8.

This was reported by SSPDaily.

The owner of the creative animal, Joan Lefson, recently announced her death, which was caused by chronic rheumatoid arthritis. Due to the disease, both of the pig's hind legs became lame due to calcification of the lower spine.

"It's very sad that such an inspiring figure is gone," Lefson, 52, told Caters News.

Lefson, an animal rights activist from Franschhoek, South Africa, rescued Piggasso from a slaughterhouse in May 2016 when the pig was just four weeks old.

"Pigcasso would have been a piece of bacon at 6 months old," she said. "Instead, she was rescued and resurrected to inspire millions of people to reconsider what they eat through her extraordinary talent."

The four-legged lady painted at Farm Sanctuary SA, a non-profit foundation that provides a safe haven for rescued animals from farms in Franschhoek.

"Her legacy lives on at the sanctuary, and our mission is to inspire everyone to a kinder, more sustainable world," added Lefson.

Named after the famous painter Pablo Picasso, Piggasso gained international fame in late 2016. The excitement around her masterful brushstrokes resounded throughout the art world after Lefson put a modified brush in a pig's mouth and slapped it in front of an empty canvas.

She signed each masterpiece by dipping the muzzle in red paint and imprinting it on the finished product.

"I don't force her to paint. She paints when she wants to," Lefson explained at the dawn of Picasso's career. "Often we pack a picnic basket and she eats organic strawberries, guava, and caramelized popcorn between brush strokes. For Picasso, it's a pig's paradise."

In 2018, the pig became the first animal artist to hold a solo exhibition. It took place on the Victoria and Albert Waterfront in Cape Town, South Africa. She then held several additional exhibitions in the Netherlands, Germany, France, China, and the United Kingdom.

The following year, Picasso signed an agreement with the Swiss watch company Swatch. It lent its "Flying Pig" by Picasso for the dial of the company's watch, released in a limited edition for $120.

In 2021, the clever pig sold her drawing to a German buyer for more than $25,000, setting an official world record for the most outstanding artwork ever drawn by an animal.

Unfortunately, shortly thereafter, Picasso fell ill.

"Although Picasso had already been showing symptoms of arthritis for the past several years, in September 2023, her physical condition deteriorated dramatically," said Lefson. "By early October, both of her hind legs had become limp due to calcification of her lower spine, exacerbated by arthritis. Both incurable conditions are directly related to the manipulation and modifications to which farm animals are subjected on modern industrialized farms."

But instead of mourning, Lefson celebrates Picasso's life and legacy, applauding the long-term impact that has brought in a million dollars.

Picasso's last work is called "Ovation".

As a reminder, the painting was sold for a record-breaking $17 million when it was revealed who the author was. The painting "Adoration of Kings" turned out to be the work of Rembrandt.