News + Blog

Pablo Picasso’s artwork plays a starring role in RIPLEY on Netflix, licensed by ARS

Licensed artwork by Picasso adds depth and symbolism to a gripping story

Request to license artwork | Join our mailing list to learn more about licensing artwork

Pablo Picasso’s 1910 work The Guitarist plays a starring role in RIPLEY, the new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley, now streaming on Netflix. The series follows Tom Ripley, played by Andrew Scott, through a thrilling tale of fraud, forgery, and murder against the lush backdrop of Italy, and has received widespread acclaim for its scenic design and cinematography.

Amidst the gripping narrative lies another layer of visual richness: the presence of Pablo Picasso’s artwork, licensed by Artists Rights Society. The works serve not only as set decoration but also add depth and symbolism to the story, with Architectural Digest noting the Cubist masterpiece reflects Ripley “multifaceted personas and need for power and money” and embodies “a lavish lifestyle of la dolce vita.”

Throughout RIPLEY, Picasso’s artwork is strategically placed to underscore key moments, first hanging in his friend Dickie Greenleaf’s villa, and then in Ripley’s palazzo, illustrating the themes of identity and illusion that form the basis of the series.T he fragmented forms and distorted perspectives characteristic of Picasso’s Cubist art mirror the fragmented nature of Tom Ripley’s identity. As Tom navigates a web of lies and deceit, the fractured compositions of Picasso’s Cubist works serve as a visual metaphor for the fractured self-image he presents to the world.

Artists Rights Society licenses artwork by Pablo Picasso and other modern masters to bring artistic depth and visual splendor to the best in film and television.

Submit to licensing request | Join our mailing list to learn more about licensing artwork