Art dealers are praising a 7-year-old British boy as a painting prodigy on par with Pablo Picasso. Kieron Williamson’s atmospheric landscapes are already in high demand; at a recent auction he sold 16 of them for $29,280 in just 14 minutes, with buyers coming from as far away as Japan. The work is comparable to Picasso’s childhood output, says a local gallery owner. “So you could be looking at the next grand master.”
Williamson began painting two years ago, inspired by the landscapes of his coastal town. “He would be up every morning at six, and we’d be woken up by the chink of jam jars,” says his father. “He’s still very much like that.” The gallery owner says the diligence has paid off. “It was a very, very quick transition from a good little amateur painter right through to someone who was producing a commercial item. It was shocking.”
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