Basquiat Painting from Yoko Ono's Collection Heads to Auction

A 1982 Jean-Michel Basquiat painting titled Cabra, estimated at $9–12 million, will be auctioned by Sotheby's in New York on November 16, 2017, as part of its Contemporary Art Evening Auction. The work comes from the private collection of Yoko Ono, who has owned it for over twenty years. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Spirit Foundations, an organization founded by Ono and John Lennon in the 1970s to promote peace and tolerance. Cabra is part of a series inspired by Black boxing icons such as Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Jersey Joe Walcott. Specifically, it references Ali's 1970 victory over Oscar Bonavena at Madison Square Garden, depicting a bull's head with a swollen eye looming over a boxing ring. Basquiat created the painting during a period of exploring his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage. The work was recently exhibited in Hong Kong and will be on view in London during Frieze Art Week before traveling to New York for a preview event on November 3.