By Hanna Tudor[1]
"I have this dream my daughter-in-law kills me for the money, She thinks I left them in the will, The family gathers 'round and reads it, And then someone screams out, "She's laughing up at us from hell!"..."
~Taylor Swift, from "Anti-Hero" (2022)
In Taylor Swift’s 2022 track and visual "Anti-Hero", the viewer is invited to the artist’s deepest intrusive thoughts and fears as viewers are taken to her "funeral" while she sings of her heirs reading her will. While Swift’s slightly satirical, but very real nightmarish skit is a fun play on the artist's personal fears within inheritance and wills, her point poses an interesting question. But in all seriousness, what happens to artist’s estates, copyrights, and originals when they die?
The subject of inheritance continues to be a focal point in many artists’ legacies. Family feuds, severed ties, and convoluted legacies can often end as a result. While we see these stories take shape globally from Picasso to Rothko, the artist and children’s book illustrator Tasha Tudor (Aug 28, 1918 - June 18, 2008) specifically comes to mind as her legacy was built on the foundation of family and the peaceful whims of a cottage-core lifestyle.
Time to upgrade?
Thank you for your continued interest in our work. Support our efforts and become a premium member to enjoy unlimited access to the Center's articles and archived events!Already a premium member? Sign in
Or, become a premium member for unlimited access