Wes Anderson's new film *The Phoenician Scheme* features a rogue businessman named Zsa-Zsa Korda (Benicio del Toro) who, after surviving a plane crash, decides to make his estranged daughter Liesl (Mia Threapleton) his heir. The film's art collection, curated by Jasper Sharp, includes authentic masterpieces such as René Magritte's *The Equator* (1942), Pierre-Auguste Renoir's *Enfant Assis en Robe Bleue (Portrait of Edmond Renoir Jr.)* (1889), and a 17th-century still life by Floris Gerritsz van Schooten. Sharp, a long-time Anderson collaborator, selected and loaned original works to reveal aspects of Korda's character, noting that the real paintings transformed the energy on set.
This article matters because it highlights the growing role of art curation in filmmaking, where authentic artworks are used not merely as props but as narrative devices that deepen character development. It also underscores the collaboration between the art world and cinema, exemplified by Sharp's background at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and the Kunsthistorisches Museum, and Anderson's previous exhibitions at the Cinémathèque Française and London's Design Museum. The use of real masterpieces raises questions about authenticity, loan logistics, and the emotional impact of original art on film production.