Image: Åke Axelsson — Public domainImagine walking into an art gallery and seeing the works of a painter only to discover it was created by a chimpanzee. That was the bizarre reality in 1964 when a chimp named Peter, under the alias Pierre Brassau, was presented as an avant-garde artist. The whole spectacle was orchestrated by Åke "Dacke" Axelsson, a journalist who wanted to explore the fine line between real modern art and the work of a non-human.
Peter was a four-year-old chimpanzee from Sweden's Borås Djurpark. Axelsson, with the help of Peter's keeper, gave the chimp a brush and paint, allowing him to create several artworks. From these, Axelsson selected four to exhibit at Gallerie Christinae in Gothenburg, Sweden. The critics were none the wiser; they saw the vibrant strokes and declared them exceptional works of art.
One critic noted that "only an ape could have done this", but most were completely taken in. Rolf Anderberg of the Göteborgs-Posten praised Peter's technique, stating, "Brassau paints with powerful strokes, but also with clear determination." He went on to describe the chimpanzee's brushwork as both furious and delicate, likening him to a ballet dancer.
After the truth behind Pierre Brassau was unveiled, Anderberg maintained that Peter's paintings were still the best in the exhibition. Remarkably, one of these artworks was purchased by a private collector for $90.
In 1969, Peter was moved to Chester Zoo in England, where he spent the rest of his life. The absurdity of this art heist remains a curious chapter in the world of contemporary art, illustrating how perceptions can be hilariously misled by the veil of artistic pretension. Pierre Brassau is a name that lives on as a symbol of the absurdity that can occur in the art world.
