Tutu is a series of three portraits painted by the Nigerian artist Ben Enwonwu of the Ifẹ princess Adetutu Ademiluyi ('Tutu') in 1973. The three paintings have been missing since 1975; the second version was rediscovered in 2017 in London and sold at auction in 2018 for over £1 million.[1]
The portrait was painted in the wake of the Nigerian Civil War and was seen a symbol of reconciliation between the government and Biafran separatists.[2][3] An image of the portrait was displayed at Enwonwu's funeral.[2] Enwonwu painted three versions of the portrait; all were subsequently lost until the 2017 discovery.[2][1]
Mark Brown, writing in The Guardian described the painting as "a national icon in Nigeria, with poster reproductions hanging on walls in homes all over the country".[2]
The subject of the portrait, the Ife princess Adetutu Ademiluyi, was believed to still be alive at the time of the sale of the second portrait in 2018.[4] The first version was stolen just before Enwonwu's death in 1994.[4]
- ^ a b "'Tutu' painting by Ben Enwonwu sells for $1.6 million". CNN. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
- ^ a b c d Brown, Mark (6 February 2018). "Tutu's return: missing Nigerian masterpiece found in London flat". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ "Decades after it went missing, Nigerian masterpiece is found in London apartment". CBC Radio. Archived from the original on 8 February 2018. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ a b "A Long-Lost Nigerian Masterpiece Found in a London Apartment Just Set a Record at Bonhams". Arrtnet. 1 March 2018. Archived from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 30 September 2021.
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search