With the divorce proceedings between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt still on the winding road to completion, the dissolution of the former power couple’s bond has led to all sorts of developments. As everything from the judge overseeing the proceedings to concerns over the custody arrangement have been on display, there’s no surprises when it comes to this very open divorce. And now Jolie has sold a pretty expensive piece of art she received as a gift from Pitt, and for a fantastic price.
The piece, entitled “Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque,” was actually painted by the late British Prime Minster Winston Churchhill in 1943. As Page Six caught wind of the story of its sale, the piece bought by Brad Pitt for $2.95 million in 2011 has now been offloaded by Angelina Jolie for the record breaking sum of $11.5 million, as of earlier this week. The cause of the sale was not disclosed, but whatever the case may be, Jolie has flipped this rare work of art for a hell of a return. Though we have to wonder, what exactly would replace this piece on the walls of her current dwelling?
Ok, quick art history lesson time! “Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque” was the only painting that Sir Winston Churchill made during World War II. Once gifted to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the painting was inspired and created during the Casablanca Conference the two had attended. If you want to know more about the in-depth history of the painting, you can read more about it in The Art Newspaper’s piece on the sale.
Supposedly purchased after Brad Pitt’s interest in Churchill was piqued after making Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, it’s another sign that the proceedings that have dragged on since the couple announced their split in 2016 will continue. Then again, all you have to do is read the tabloids to be reminded of that reality. While Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie may still be making wine together, even after the trail that led to this split has been well documented as less than happy. And this piece of art apparently was among the assets that had to go.
But in the end, the sale of “Tower of the Koutoubia Mosque” represents a moment in art history just as much as it does a personal benchmark between Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. Who knows where the next step in their story will take them? At this point, all anyone can hope for is a respectful, and eventual, end to the proceedings; and that all involved will be able to move on in peace. You can see Angelina Jolie next in Marvel’s Eternals, while Brad Pitt can be caught in the ever expanding Bullet Train.
