Pint-sized Picasso! German boy, two, turns into worldwide hit
A German toddler has become an international artistic sensation after selling his horse, cat, and duck paintings for thousands.
Dubbed a ‘pint-sized Picasso’, Laurent Schwarz, two, from Bavaria, is raking in up to €6,500 on the international market thanks to his colourful works.
Far from stick figures, three-wheeled cars, and misshaped farm animals, Laurent’s paintings have an air of professionalism about them, making them appear gallery-worthy thanks to their abstract quality.
His proud mother, Lisa Schwarz, 32, realised little Laurent had a special talent while on a family holiday in South Tyrol, Italy, last September.
‘There was a painting room in the hotel and we couldn’t get him out of it,’ she told The Times.
Laurent Schwarz, two, from Bavaria, is raking in up to €6,500 on the international market thanks to his colourful works
A New York art gallery has also reached out to the tot’s mum with an offer to put Laurent’s work on display with the two-year-old’s first vernissage set to take place in his Alpine home village of Neubeuern in August
When they arrived back home, Lisa decided to set up a studio for her paint-loving son which he stayed in all the time.
The artworks began coming in thick and fast as Laurent created painting after painting in his dedicated room.
Lisa was so proud of his pieces that she set up an Instagram channel solely for sharing her son’s art on.
One of the first paintings she uploaded was of a piece called ‘The Fingers’ – a mixture of reds, yellows, and blues, that would blend in perfectly on a wall at the Tate Modern.
After the first post was shared with the world, Lisa revealed it ‘triggered a real hype’ and the likes and follows came quickly pouring in.
Laurent’s page has attracted over a staggering 28,500 followers with the comments sections of his posts raking in up to more than 400 comments praising him on his talent.
The quick rise to social media fame sparked Lisa to start selling some of her son’s work on a website called laurents.art.
His acrylic on canvas paintings even gained interest at Munich’s biggest art fair ART MUC, in April, and sold to buyers from Britain to the Bahamas.
A New York art gallery has also reached out to the tot’s mum with an offer to put Laurent’s work on display with the two-year-old’s first vernissage set to take place in his Alpine home village of Neubeuern in August.
His proud mother, Lisa Schwarz, 32, realised little Laurent had a special talent while on a family holiday in South Tyrol, Italy , last September
Footage and photos posted on Laurent’s social media channels of him producing his pieces show him using tools including brushes, rollers, spatulas, and his fingers to bring his work to life.
‘They’re abstracts and what’s unusual is how he integrates discernible figures into them, which people often mention to us and which makes them so popular,’ said Lisa, who owns an interior design firm with her husband, Philipp.
The mother also pointed out that in many pieces, his love for animals – particularly elephants, dinosaurs, and horses – is shown, as well as his passion for using vibrant colours.
Lisa framed and hung up several of Laurent’s works around the family home, but revealed most have now been sold.
The paintings that have made their way into the homes of lucky buyers include The Blue Horse, a 31.5in by 39.4in work featuring a horse amid a burst of colour.
Another which has been sold is titled The Cat, and is a swirl of blues and hints of pink from which a cat stares out with a large, bulbous eye.
The proceeds from the painting sales are being transferred straight into an account for Laurent, which he will have access to when he turns 18, Lisa said.
‘It’s totally up to him when and what he paints,’ Lisa added.
‘Sometimes he doesn’t feel like painting and doesn’t set foot in his studio for three or four weeks but then suddenly it grabs him and he says, ‘Mama, painting.’
