Jean-Michel Basquiat’s vivid skull-like face with red, yellow, and blue accents on electric blue background
Untitled, 1982, Jean-Michel Basquiat. Courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s layered graffiti-style symbols and figures in vivid pastels and black on diptych canvas
El Gran Espectáculo (The Nile) detail, 1983, Jean-Michel Basquiat. Courtesy of Christie’s.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s aggressive red face with exposed teeth, layered over intense blocks of color
In This Case (detail), 1983, Jean-Michel Basquiat. Courtesy of Christie’s.
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s abstract skeletal figure holding a sword on a pale background with blue and yellow
Warrior, 1982, Jean-Michel Basquiat. Courtesy of Christie’s.
Jean-Michel Basquiat wearing a suit, gazing directly at camera with expressive eyes
Jean-Michel Basquiat (New York Times Magazine cover detail) 1985. Photo by Lizzie Himmel. Courtesy of Artsy.
Category Modern Masters & Market Icons
FocusJean-Michel Basquiat
Period/MovementNeo-Expressionism
Image CreditSee Image Use & Legal Notice

Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crowned in Chaos

A king with a spray can, Basquiat skyrocketed from New York’s underground to global stardom. His rise, his bond with Andy Warhol, and the raw symbolism that infused his art blurred the line between street and studio before the art world knew what hit it.

Gone too soon. Impossible to forget. Basquiat didn’t just paint history. He became it.