Defacement (The Death of Michael Stewart)
1983 · Acrylic and marker on wood · 64 × 80 cm
Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump
1982 · Acrylic, oilstick, and spray paint on canvas · 240 × 421 cm
Hollywood Africans
1983 · Acrylic and oilstick on canvas · 213 × 213 cm
Dustheads
1982 · Acrylic, oilstick, and spray paint on canvas · 183 × 183 cm
Untitled
1982 · Oilstick, acrylic, and spray paint on canvas · 183 × 173 cm
Basquiat is known for his raw, energetic Neo-Expressionist paintings that combine graffiti-inspired imagery, text, symbols, crowns, and skeletal figures. He rose from the New York street art scene to become one of the most celebrated artists of the 1980s, and his 1982 Untitled skull painting sold for $110.5 million in 2017.
Basquiat died on August 12, 1988, at the age of 27, from an accidental heroin overdose at his apartment in New York City. His death came shortly after the passing of his friend and collaborator Andy Warhol in 1987.
Basquiat painted in the Neo-Expressionist style, characterized by vivid colors, jagged lines, scattered text, crude yet expressive figures, and recurring motifs like crowns, skulls, and anatomical diagrams. His work drew on African-American and Latino cultural heritage, jazz, poetry, and street art.
His most famous works include Untitled (1982), the skull painting that sold for $110.5 million; Dustheads (1982); Hollywood Africans (1983); Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump (1982); and Defacement (The Death of Michael Stewart) (1983). His works are held in major museums worldwide including MoMA, the Whitney, and the Broad.
The three-pointed crown is Basquiat's most iconic motif, representing royalty, heroism, and the elevation of Black figures to positions of power and greatness. He used it to crown athletes, musicians, prophets, and warriors, challenging art historical narratives about who deserves to be celebrated.
This page features public domain works by Jean-Michel Basquiat and is not managed by the artist.
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