Germany: Laurent, 3 years old and already a successful painter

He still wears diapers, but in just a few months he has become an Instagram and art world star.

Some media outlets have already dubbed him the “Mini-Picasso”.

In his studio in a corner of his house in Neubeuern, Bavaria, Laurent Schwarz, a three-year-old German toddler, paints canvases that are often larger than he is, with abstract and colorful patterns using brushes, rollers, or sometimes simply with his fingers covered in paint.

Laurent Schwarz, 3, paints in his studio in his parents' house in Neubeuern, on October 17, 2024 in southern Germany © AFP – Michaela STACHE

He discovered this passion almost a year ago, during a vacation in a family hotel that had a studio.

“We came back, and all he wanted to do was paint, paint, paint,” his mother Lisa Schwarz, 33, told AFP.

His parents set up a studio for him in a corner of their house, bought him a few canvases and paint.

Laurent Schwarz, 3, paints in his studio, with his mother Lisa Schwarz, in Neubeuern, on October 17, 2024 in southern Germany © AFP – Michaela STACHE

They created an Instagram account that describes, with photos and videos, the work of their offspring.

“In four weeks, we had reached 10,000 followers,” recalls Lisa Schwarz, who nevertheless assures that she was initially only looking for a way to easily share images of her son's work with family and friends.

The first requests for galleries poured in, fueled by the media and social media's enthusiasm for the little prodigy.

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Laurent Schwarz, 3, in front of one of the paintings he painted in his parents' house in Neubeuern, on October 17, 2024 in southern Germany © AFP – Michaela STACHE

The latter now has 90,000 followers. At a sale held in Neubeuern at the end of September, buyers from all over the world sometimes bid up to several hundred thousand euros on his works.

“Among the people interested, there was a famous American actor, royal families… It was incredible,” assures Lisa Schwarz.

– Brush prodigies –

Even if the little Bavarian developed a passion for his art very early on, he is not the first to have picked up paintbrushes at an early age.

Laurent Schwarz, 3, paints in his studio in his parents' house in Neubeuern, on October 17, 2024 in southern Germany © AFP – Michaela STACHE

And the fashion phenomena surrounding the emergence of children presented in the media as the new “little Picassos” are not rare.

In 2022, for example, ten-year-old American Andres Valencia sold his works inspired by the Spanish master of cubism for several hundred thousand Euros.

Before him, Romanian-American artist Alexandra Nechita was dubbed “Little Picasso” in the late 1990s after she caught the attention of the art community at the age of 12. Other similar cases exist elsewhere in the world.

Laurent Schwarz's parents say they are still very surprised by the turn their son's adventure has taken.

Laurent Schwarz, 3, walks past the paintings he painted hanging on the walls of his parents' house in Neubeuern, on October 17, 2024 in the south from Germany © AFP – Michaela STACHE

They also ensure that the money paid for his works goes into an account in the child's name and that he can use it as he wishes once he is an adult.

“He can study painting, buy a car, play an instrument or football… It's up to him to choose,” promises his father Philippe Schwarz, 43. “The important thing for us is that he is happy,” he says.

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