Pigcasso: Paint-loving pig makes £1 million from masterpieces after being rescued from slaughterhouse

A pig that has been dubbed ‘Pigcasso’ has made a fortune after her paintings sold for almost £1 million. The paint-loving animal was rescued from a slaughterhouse in 2016 by animal sanctuary boss Joanne Lefson, who runs Farm Sanctuary SA in Fanschhoek, South Africa.

The pig was then given a paintbrush and went on to create some incredible portraits and abstract masterpieces. Pigcasso, uses her snout to hold her paintbrush and has painted famous faces including the Queen and Boris Johnson.

Pigcasso has also paid tribute to major news events including the King’s Coronation and Brexit. Owner Joanne Lefson, told The Mirror: “After being rescued, Pigcasso showed an interest in some old brushes while lying in her stall. I nurtured her interest, and it wasn’t long before she was picking them up and painting across canvases that I placed in her stall.”

“She sold her first painting later that year for £400. She has a passion for painting, so it’s great to see her do what she loves to do. Every session is different, so it is a highly creative and unique process that unfolds with her. I love to watch how a 1,000lb pig can move a brush so gracefully across a canvas.”

Lefson has put the paintings up for sale, which has raised a fortune, which has helped keep the sanctuary open. One of Pigcasso’s painting sold for an impressive £20,000, which has taken the record for most expensive painting by a non-human artist in history.