A Rome street artist has sued the Vatican in a Rome court for having used her poster art image of Christ for its Easter 2020 postage stamp without her knowledge or approval.
Alessia Babrow's lawsuit accuses the Vatican City State's telecommunications office of wrongfully profiting off her creativity and violating the original intent of her artwork.
The Vatican used her image, featuring her hallmark heart emblazoned across Christ’s chest, as its 2020 Easter postage stamp.
Copyright lawyers familiar with the case say it is an important benchmark for Italy.
They said it is evidence of the increasing appreciation for Banksy-style street art and the belief that even anonymous “guerrilla art” deserves protection against unauthorized corporate merchandising.