Offered by the David Zwirner Gallery in New York, the piece was shown as one of Rauch’s best, advertised as employing an “enigmatic and dreamlike” scene of a race car in the service “pit” mid-race. The piece was listed at a staggering price of $680,000 euro or $960,000.

In a market where pricey modern art sales have taken a serious dive, Pitt certainly turned heads with his acquisition. He and partner Angelina Jolie are known for their love of modern artists such as the controversial Banksy of the UK, making the addition of the Rauch painting is no surprise.

Rauch is among Europe’s top artists with his daring combination of Eastern Bloc realism with Western abstraction. The purchase of the Ettape paining by celebrity Pitt will certainly raise the artist’s profile even higher.

This is the 40th anniversary of Art Basel in Switzerland, featuring works from over 2,500 artists.