Pitt Drops $1M for Painting

Brad Pitt played the role of big-time art collector today at the Art Basel fair in Switzerland. Pitt spent about $1 million on a 9-foot painting by Neo Rauch, the Wall Street Journal reports. The 1998 racetrack painting, Etappe, "depicts a swirling view of a driver behind a red, Formula One-style racecar, with workers nearby carrying candy-colored hoses," writes Kelly Crow. It's an oil-on-linen. Click on the link to see a photo of it.

Pitt reportedly hemmed and hawed in front of the painting for several minutes before returning with prominent Los Angeles collectors Eli and Edythe Broad. A little peer pressure apparently worked, notes Crow. "I told him we had four Rauchs and if he didn’t buy it, we probably would," said one of the Broads.