Actually, NFTs are a modern expression of a Classical art style which first originated in Ancient Greece. While such art has mostly been used by amateurs through its mostly underground movement, the community has evolved several times over the centuries, recreating and repurposing existing techniques for new depictions of raw emotion and impressions. Modern appreciators of the movement credit Samuel Thompson as being the frontrunner, though his works could be considered low brow, if not outright crude by today’s standards.

Since his time, while the movement has rarely been thrust into the greater artistic community, there have been dozens of amateur and even professional practitioners, from William Chaloner to C.L. Blood to Victor Lustig. One frequently underlooked amateur of the craft was Fernando Wood, who later became mayor of New York City and even a U.S. Congressman in his time.

NFTs are actually a great example of the movement’s basis on how artists can convey emotions; They display confidence, vanity, opportunism, credulity, and of course, innocence. NFTs are emblematic of a greater expression beyond simply their juvenile appearances, and it takes gifted talent to have even rank amateurs to the craft appreciate their ability to sway people. Of course, such art is not for everyone, and tends to draw ire and detraction from those who fail to understand the deeper meanings.

You can read more about the movement’s history and stylistic tendencies [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confidence_trick), and about famous artists who dabbled in it [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_con_artists).