In October 2018, a groundbreaking moment in the art world took place when a painting created by artificial intelligence (AI), titled Portrait of Edmond de Belamy, was sold at Christie’s auction house for an astonishing $432,500—far exceeding its estimated price of $7,000–$10,000.
This event was a turning point in the relationship between AI and art, raising questions about creativity, authorship, and the role of AI in artistic expression. It also sparked debates about whether AI-generated works could be considered “real art” and how they fit into the larger landscape of human creativity.
This article explores the story behind the AI-generated painting, how the technology worked, and the impact of AI on the future of art.
The Painting: Portrait of Edmond de Belamy
📌 Title: Portrait of Edmond de Belamy
📌 Artist: Created by an AI model trained by the Paris-based art collective Obvious
📌 Auction House: Christie’s, New York
📌 Date Sold: October 25, 2018
📌 Final Sale Price: $432,500 (45 times higher than expected)
The painting itself depicts a blurry, slightly distorted portrait of a fictional aristocrat, resembling 18th- and 19th-century European portraiture but with an eerie, unfinished quality. Unlike traditional works, it contained no visible brushstrokes or human intervention, apart from the algorithm’s final output.
Instead of a signature from a human artist, the bottom right corner of the painting featured a mathematical equation—the algorithm used to create it.
How Was the AI Artwork Created?
The painting was generated using a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)—a type of deep learning algorithm that enables AI to create images, music, and other artistic works.
What Are GANs?
A Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) consists of two neural networks working against each other:
- Generator: Creates new images based on patterns learned from real paintings.
- Discriminator: Evaluates whether the image looks real or artificial.
Over time, the generator improves, producing increasingly lifelike and artistic images until they become indistinguishable from human-created works.
How Obvious Created the AI Painting
The Obvious art collective trained their GAN model on 15,000 portraits from the 14th to 20th centuries, sourced from historical art datasets.
✅ Step 1: The AI studied classical paintings, learning styles, colors, and composition techniques.
✅ Step 2: The AI generated new images, attempting to create a portrait in the same style.
✅ Step 3: The team selected the most interesting AI-generated piece and printed it on canvas.
The result? A completely AI-generated portrait that combined old artistic traditions with futuristic technology.
Why Was This AI Painting a Big Deal?
1. First AI Artwork Sold at a Major Auction House
- Christie’s, one of the world’s most prestigious art auction houses, had never before auctioned AI-generated art.
- This event validated AI as a serious tool for artistic creation.
2. Raised Philosophical Questions About Art & Creativity
- Who is the real artist—the AI, the programmers, or both?
- Can machines truly create, or are they just mimicking human creativity?
- Does AI-generated art diminish the value of human artistic expression, or does it expand creative possibilities?
3. Demonstrated AI’s Growing Role in the Creative Industries
- AI was no longer just for automation and data processing—it was shaping culture, creativity, and aesthetics.
- Other industries (music, literature, film) began exploring AI-generated content.
4. Sparked the AI Art Movement
- After Portrait of Edmond de Belamy, AI-generated art became a global phenomenon, with artists and tech companies experimenting with AI as a tool for artistic creation.
- AI-generated NFTs, digital art, and AI-assisted paintings became common in the art world.
The Debate: Is AI-Generated Art Really “Art”?
The sale of Portrait of Edmond de Belamy sparked intense debates among artists, critics, and technologists.
Arguments Against AI as a True Artist
❌ Lack of Human Emotion & Intention
- Critics argue that real art requires human emotion, storytelling, and intent—qualities that AI lacks.
❌ AI Is Only Mimicking, Not Creating
- AI does not have consciousness or inspiration—it simply learns patterns and generates images based on data.
❌ The Role of the Human Artist Is Unclear
- Who is the true “artist” of AI-generated work—the programmers, the curators, or the AI itself?
Arguments in Favor of AI as a Legitimate Artist
✅ AI Expands Creative Possibilities
- Artists can use AI as a collaborative tool, similar to how cameras and digital art revolutionized traditional painting.
✅ Creativity Is Not Limited to Humans
- If an artwork can evoke emotions and be appreciated, does it matter whether a human or AI created it?
✅ Art Has Always Used Technology
- Throughout history, artists have embraced new technologies:
- Photography challenged traditional painting.
- Digital art replaced physical canvases.
- AI is simply the next evolution in artistic tools.
AI in Art After 2018: The Rise of AI-Generated Creativity
After the success of Portrait of Edmond de Belamy, AI-generated art became a major trend:
🎨 AI-Generated NFTs & Digital Art
- AI tools like Deep Dream, DALL·E, and MidJourney allowed artists to create AI-powered artwork.
- AI-generated NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) became highly valuable in the digital art world.
🎨 AI-Assisted Music & Literature
- AI is now composing music, writing poetry, and generating novels, raising new questions about AI’s role in creative storytelling.
🎨 AI in the Film & Entertainment Industry
- AI-powered animation and scriptwriting assistants are being used in Hollywood and gaming industries.
🎨 More AI Art Sold at Auction
- Other AI-generated artworks have sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars, proving that AI is here to stay in the art world.
The Future of AI in Art: What’s Next?
As AI continues evolving, its role in creativity will expand and reshape the artistic landscape.
1. AI as a Tool for Artists
- AI is unlikely to replace human artists, but it will become a powerful creative assistant, helping artists explore new styles and ideas.
2. More AI-Created Masterpieces
- Future AI models will become even more sophisticated, capable of creating hyper-realistic paintings, abstract works, and personalized art on demand.
3. Ethical & Legal Questions Will Grow
- Who owns AI-generated art? The programmers, the users, or the AI itself?
- Should AI-generated works be labeled differently than human-made art?
The Beginning of a New Era in Art
The sale of AI-generated art for $432,500 in 2018 was not just a one-time event—it marked the beginning of a new artistic revolution.
✅ AI is now an accepted part of the creative world.
✅ Artists, collectors, and museums are embracing AI-generated works.
✅ The future of AI in art is just beginning, with endless creative possibilities.
While the debate over AI’s role in creativity continues, one thing is clear: AI is no longer just a tool for automation—it has become a tool for imagination.