Christie's to offer Jean-Michel Basquit' s ultimate masterpieces

KOLKATA: On November 14, Christie's will offer a major work, in New York, by Jean-Michel Basquiat, executed in 1981. Untitled, which has been in the same private collection for almost two decades, is regarded as one of Basquiat's ultimate masterpieces from the beginning of his career alongside Untitled (Scull) 1981, from the Broad Collection. The work has been featured prominently in every major Basquiat retrospective, including the recent survey at the Beyeler Foundation and the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

Untitled 1981, which set a record when it sold at auction in 1988 for $110,000 is poised to break the previous highest record price of $20.1 million achieved by the artist at auction last June at Christie's in London.

Loic Gouzer, international specialist of Post-War and Contemporary Art, declared in an email statement: "In contrast to most artists, Basquiat created his best paintings at the beginning of his career. Untitled 1981 unites all the elements of energy, freedom and boldness that one looks for in Basquiat. The market has been waiting a long time for a work of this caliber and freshness, therefore we expect it to set a new record for Basquiat, an artist who is in the process of being recognized as a classic of Post-War American Art alongside Warhol, De Kooning and Pollock."