Untitled (Fishing)

Untitled is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1981. The artwork, which depicts a fisherman displaying his catch hanging at the end of a line, sold for $26.4 million at Christie's in November 2012.^[1]

Untitled
Artist	Jean-Michel Basquiat
Year	1981
Medium	Oilstick, acrylic and spray enamel on canvas
Movement	Neo-expressionism
Dimensions	198.1 cm × 172.7 cm (78.0 in × 68.0 in)

History

Jean-Michel Basquiat painted Untitled in 1981, a pivotal year when he transitioned from street artist into the adulation of the New York art scene. He worked in the basement of Annina Nosei's gallery in SoHo where Untitled was executed. The artwork depicts a fisherman wearing a crown of thorns and a halo of the same nature. He is standing at the center of the canvas proudly displays his catch, a large fish hanging at the end of a fishing rod. His black body reveals a white skeletal figure.

The painting had previously been auctioned in 1988, a few months after Basquiat's death, and sold for $110,000.^[2] Sold by fashion photographer Patrick Demarchelier in 2012, it was anticipated to break records before its auction in 2012.^[3][4] Loic Gouzer, international specialist of post-war and contemporary art at Christie's said in a 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."^[2] The painting lived up to the pre-sale hype, selling for $26.4 million in November 2012.^[5] The sale exceeded Basquiat's previous record of $20.1 million for another Untitled (1981) sold in June 2012.^[6] That record has since been surpassed by multiple other paintings. His current record high at auction is Untitled (1982), which sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby's in May 2017.^[7]

Exhibitions

The painting has been exhibited at the following art institutions:

• Jean-Michel Basquiat at Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, October 1992–February 1993; The Menil Collection in Houston, March–May 1993; Des Moines Art Center in Iowa, May–August 1993; Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts in Alabama, November 1993–January 1994.^[8]
• Basquiat at Fondation Beyeler in Switzerland, May–September 2010;^[9] Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, October 2010–January 2011.^[10]

See also

• List of paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat
• 1981 in art

References

1. "Records set for Jean-Michel Basquiat, Jeff Koons". CBC News. November 15, 2012. Retrieved 2021-01-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
2. "Basquiat artwork could set new record for artist Nov. 14 at Christie's". Auction Central News. September 19, 2012. Retrieved 2021-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
3. Lindemann, Charlotte; Russeth, Andrew (September 18, 2012). "Today's Catch: Christie's Nabs $20 M. Basquiat for November Sale". Observer. Retrieved 2021-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
4. "Basquiat poised to set record at New York art auction". The Independent. September 19, 2016. Retrieved 2021-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
5. "Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Week Totals Record $525 Million". ArtfixDaily. November 18, 2012. Retrieved 2021-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
6. "Basquiat Sells for $20.1 M., a New Auction Record, in London". Observer. June 27, 2012. Retrieved 2021-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
7. Pogrebin, Robin; Reyburn, Scott (May 18, 2017). "A Basquiat Sells for 'Mind-Blowing' $110.5 Million at Auction". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-01-08.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
8. "Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988), Untitled". Christie's. Retrieved 2021-01-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
9. "Jean-Michel Basquiat at Fondation Beyeler". www.artforum.com. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
10. "Basquiat". Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris. Retrieved 2020-09-28.