Artist Richard Prince made headlines when he returned a $36,000 payment for a piece of art that featured Ivanka Trump.

In January 2017, American contemporary artist Richard Prince publicly disavowed an artwork owned by Ivanka Trump and returned the $36,000 purchase price, drawing widespread attention in the art world. The piece was part of Prince’s “New Portraits” series (2014), which featured large-scale inkjet prints of Instagram posts. The specific work used an image originally posted by Ivanka Trump in 2014, showing her during a makeup session. Shortly before the inauguration of President Donald Trump, Prince announced his disavowal on social media, stating: “This is not my work. I did not make it. I deny. I denounce. This fake art.” Alongside this declaration, he returned the original payment to the art advisor who had facilitated the sale in November 2014. Prince also stated that he did not want his work associated with the Trump family, describing his decision as a rejection of the artwork’s place within his official body of work. The act of disavowal was unusual within the contemporary art market. While the physical piece continued to exist, Prince’s public rejection raised questions about authorship, ownership, and value. By attempting to “de-authorize” the work, he signaled that it should no longer be considered part of his recognized portfolio, a move that sparked debate among collectors and critics. Ivanka Trump had previously acknowledged the artwork publicly, sharing an image of herself posing beside it and thanking Prince after its acquisition. Despite the artist’s disavowal, art market observers noted that the controversy surrounding the piece could affect its valuation in unpredictable ways. Some suggested that the notoriety of the incident might increase its uniqueness and historical relevance within the context of politically charged art. #RichardPrince #IvankaTrump #ContemporaryArt #ArtMarket #NewPortraits