Jean-Michel Basquiat
Punch Bag
signed, titled and dated 1983 on the reverse
acrylic and oilstick on linen
73 ¾ by 61⅞ in., 187.2 by 157.1 cm.
Jean-Michel Basquiat: “Man made” at Sotheby’s From 2 May through 9 June 2013, Sotheby’s S|2 private sales galleries in New York host a selling exhibition of works by the Brooklyn-born painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.]]>
Source: Sotheby’s
From simple works on paper in marker and crayon from1979 to monumental and highly-finished canvases from 1987, the year beforehis untimely death, the exhibition highlights important milestones inthe artist’s oeuvre.
The more than 30 works included in the show explore key themes Basquiatgrappled with during his career and the variety of media he used to expressthem. The exhibition, which will transform Sotheby’s S|2 gallery, opensat a key moment of appreciation for both the artist’s career and market withmajor museum exhibitions and gallery shows presented and record pricesachieved in recent years. This private selling exhibition will coincide withSotheby’s Impressionist, Modern and Contemporary exhibitions, which openon 3 May 2013.
“Punch Bag” depicts a black boxer, one of the most iconic images associated with Basquiat’s work, and among those most commerciallydesirable. He had a deep affection and respect for black athletes, specifically boxers like Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, whichwere often portrayed in his paintings. “Punch Bag” was painted in St. Moritz at Swiss Dealer Bruno Bischofberger’s home in 1983, the firstyear they began working together. A series of 26 photographs follow Basquiat’s painting process from start to finish. “Punch Bag” has beenin a European collector’s home since the late 1990s, when it was purchased. “Love Dub for A” was completed in his last year of paintingin 1987, the year before he died. It is a fully developed, bright and fresh painting, quite unlike many of his other works. The exceptionalcanvas is monumental in scale and completely fresh to the market, never having been at auction before.
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