Visitors pass in front of a painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat intitled “Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump” on May 7, 2010 in Basel. The Beyeler Foundation opens, on May 9, 2010, a large retrospective to mark the fiftieth birthday of the American painter and draftsman Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). Originating from the New York underground, the artist had become world famous for his his expressive paintings by the age of twenty. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI (Photo credit should read FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images)Coronavirus or its catastrophic after-effects are not going to dull the art auction scene. Proof lies in the fact that the late Jean-Michel Basquiat’s painting just sold for $100 million. Citadel founder and hedge fund manager Ken Griffin has purchased a prized canvas painting making it one of the most expensive Basquiat pieces ever sold. The painting that raked in all the moolah is called Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump was created by the artist at the pinnacle of his success. It was formerly owned by magnate Peter Brant, who is an avid collector of Basquiat’s work. This neo-expressionist “tour-de-force” sparkles in bright hues showing a boy playing with his pet dog in typical Basquiat style. As Griffin is a member of the governing body at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City and enjoys a wing named after him at the Museum of Modern Art, the Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump painting will be shared there too.
Like it is with most artists, their work usually skyrockets after their death. That was the case for Basquiat’s work too since the artist’s early death in 1988 at the young age of 27. One of his paintings sold at Sotheby’s for $110.5 million, three years ago and was marked as one of the most expensive works by an American artist.
[Via – Bloomberg]
