Basquiat’s “Untitled” Aims to Break Records at Christie’s

Tags: Basquiat, Christie's, Contemporary Art, New York, Post War Art, Record Price, Records

A work by Jean-Michel Basquiat is poised to break the artist’s high record when it heads to Christie’s Post War and Contemporary Sale on November 14. Basquiat’s previous record of $20.1 million was set at Christie’s London this past June.

Untitled 1981 stole the spotlight back in 1988 when it was sold for $110,000, then the highest figure achieved for the artist. It has remained in the same private collection for nearly two decades and is regarded as one of Basquiat’s early masterpieces. It has been featured in major retrospectives of the artist’s works, most recently at the Beyeler Foundation and the Musée d’Art Modern de la Ville de Paris.

Loic Gouzer, International Specialist of Post War and Contemporary Art, announced in a press release:

“In contrast to most artists, Basquiat created his best paintings at the beginning of his career. Untitled 1981 unites all the elements of energy, freedom and boldness that one looks for in Basquiat. The market has been waiting a long time for a work of this caliber and freshness, therefore we expect it to set a new record for Basquiat, an artist who is in the process of being recognized as a classic of Post-War American Art alongside Warhol, De Kooning and Pollock.”

Photo courtesy of Christie’s & Basquiat.com