Basquiat's Untitled Sells for $57.2M at Christie's New York, Setting New Record
Jean-Michel Basquiat's monumental painting Untitled, measuring 5 by 2.5 meters, sold for $57.2 million at Christie's New York Post-War Contemporary Art auction, setting a new record for the artist. The work, featuring a self-portrait with devilish features, was painted in Modena, Italy in 1982 when Basquiat was 22. The previous record of $48.8 million was also set at Christie's in 2013. The auction totaled over $318 million, a significant drop from $658 million the previous year. Five artist records were set: Basquiat, Agnes Martin (Orange Grove, 1965, over $10 million), Richard Prince (Runaway Nurse, $9.685 million), Mike Kelley (Memory Ware Flat 1, $3.301 million), and Kerry James Marshall (Plunge, $2.165 million). Mark Rothko's No. 17 sold for just over $32 million, below its $40 million estimate.
Key facts
- Basquiat's Untitled sold for $57.2 million at Christie's New York.
- The painting was created in Modena, Italy in 1982.
- Previous record for Basquiat was $48.8 million in 2013.
- Auction total was over $318 million, down from $658 million last year.
- Five artist records were set during the auction.
- Agnes Martin's Orange Grove sold for over $10 million.
- Richard Prince's Runaway Nurse sold for $9.685 million.
- Mark Rothko's No. 17 sold for just over $32 million.
- Mike Kelley's Memory Ware Flat 1 sold for $3.301 million.
- Kerry James Marshall's Plunge sold for $2.165 million.
Entities
Artists
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Agnes Martin
- Richard Prince
- Mike Kelley
- Kerry James Marshall
- Mark Rothko
Institutions
- Christie's New York
- Artribune
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Modena
- Italy