Warhol’s portrayal of Basquiat could gross over $ 20 million at Christie’s


Portrait of Basquiat by Warhol, 1982

Courtesy of Christie’s

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Andy Warhol’s portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat will top Christie’s 20th Century Art Night Sale in New York City, with a pre-sale estimate of over $ 20 million.

The 1982 painting is offered from the collection of Peter Brant, a New York-based industrialist and art collector. He was the former editor of ArtNews magazine and Warhol’s Interview magazine, and produced films and documentaries on Warhol and Basquiat, including The Love of Andy Warhol (1973); Bad by Andy Warhol (1977); Basquiat (1996); and Andy Warhol: A Documentary (2006).

Brant, 74, married to former model and actress Stephanie Seymour, has held the portrait for nearly two decades and has loaned it to major exhibitions, most recently at the Whitney Museum’s Warhol 2018-19 retrospective. Andy Warhol: from A to B and vice versa, says Christie’s.

The 40-by-40-inch portrait, projected against the abstract background of an oxidation paint, is one of Warhol’s few known abstract works. His famous portraits of cultural icons, such as Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, are normally simple in their figuration.

“From Brooklyn to China, Basquiat symbolizes a new generation, and Warhol recognized him sooner than anyone. His unparalleled ability to capture fame, fame, glory and tragedy culminates in this portrait, ”said Alex Rotter, Christie’s President for 20th and 21st Century Art, in a statement. “As much about Basquiat as it is about Warhol, this is one of the most exciting paintings to come to the auction market.”

The portrait will be offered at Christie’s 20th Century Art Evening Sale in November in New York City.

The Flood by Peter Doig

Courtesy of Christie’s

Also in November, Christie’s 21st Century Art Sale in New York City will feature the 1990 Peter Doig painting, flooded, which should set a new record for the British artist. His current auction record was set in 2017, when his landscape painting Rosedale (1991)) sold for US $ 28.8 million at Phillips New York.

Last time flooded first appeared at Christie’s auction in 2015, when it sold for just under $ 26 million. This time around, the painting has a guaranteed, unprecedented estimate of over $ 35 million.

The portrait of Basquiat by Warhol and that of Doig flooded will participate in a global traveling exhibition this month before returning to New York for auctions.

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