[Crowbob]

Late in life, Picasso signing checks was forbidden because the value of the check sometimes exceeded the dollar amount simply because of his signature being on it.

OK. Not really art but c’mon, man. That is something.

As an aside, but still interesting, an American painter (he was American only bacause he lived in America-his true citizenship was a mystery) who was hired by a newspaper to depict in watercolors scenes from the battlefields of WWI was eventually most famous for his full sized portraits of the then rich and famous. ‘Madam X’ is one of them.

This guy did it right. Never worked a day in his life but went around the world conjuring up commissions of famous and very rich (more rich than famous usually) people.the contracts involved him living rent-free in the homes of his clients during the production of his work. Because he was such an intriguing and pleasant conversationalist, his company was almost as coveted as his paintings.

Anywho, at one point in his life, whilst his client entertained other rich and famous people playing badminton and/or croquet or whatever and drinking mint julips on the lawn, he would suddenly excuse himself, hurry to his studio on the premises of so and so’s estate at exactly the right time of day and in exactly the right kind of light (so he explained) to execute one single stroke of his brush on his current work to immediately return to the frivolity at which he was heartily welcomed.

There is much more to say about him, including his stupendous technical skills as an artiste.

John Singer Sargeant.