André Morain's Unpublished Basquiat Portrait from 1988

An unpublished photograph of Jean-Michel Basquiat, taken by André Morain in January 1988 during the artist's trip to Europe for his exhibition at Galerie Yvon Lambert in Paris, has been featured in art press 2 n°24. The image captures Basquiat in a melancholic pose, elegantly dressed in a light shirt, striped bow tie, jacquard sweater, coat, and plaid scarf, wearing a wool beret reminiscent of Rembrandt's self-portraits. Morain, known for photographing Parisian art scenes, presents an uncommon view of Basquiat, contrasting with his typical 1980s New York underground iconography. The high-contrast black-and-white photograph evokes Manet's depth, with Basquiat seated at a table, hands clasped, an ashtray of cigarette butts suggesting an illegible inscription. Philippe Sollers, in his preface to Morain's book Les Ambassadeurs, notes that sometimes a dead person appears as if not dead; Basquiat died eight months later. The photograph already places him in art history.