Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Artwork: Top 10

Although Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) died young at the age of 27, his paintings and diverse body of work have made him legendary in the art world. Basquiat was mentored by Andy Warhol and made countless collaborative projects with him. Artalistic presents you with our non-exhaustive selection of Jean-Michel Basquiat's best-known artwork, most of which continue to break sales records at auction houses around the world.

Contemporary artist Jean-Michel Basquiat’s artwork: Artalistic’s selection

With its frenetic movement, directed energy and melancholic expression with strong, and even dark social themes, Basquiat's artwork was heavily influenced by urban style and graffiti. He began his artistic exploration creating street art in New York and later started working on canvas. Artalistic has put together a carefully curated selection of work by this pioneer of the American underground movement and a leading figure in contemporary art.

1. Irony of a Negro Policeman, 1981

Throughout his creative career, this New York-based artist was committed to sharing his cultural experiences as a black artist in America and the oppression of the black community. Irony of a Negro Policeman is one of Jean-Michel Basquiat's best-known artworks and is a perfect example of his subject matter. A majority of his work boldly contemplated racism and pushed viewers to be introspective.

2. The Field Next to the Other Road, 1981

In contrast to the vast majority of Jean-Michel Basquiat's artwork, this painting features fairly easily identifiable figures. It was created during a period when allegorical imagery was a strong focus of his work. The Field Next to the Other Road was painted when Basquiat was invited to Italy by the art dealer Emilio Mazzoli. It was sold at Christie's for $37.1 million in 2015.

3. La Hara, 1981

La Hara may not be one of Jean-Michel Basquiat's most famous artworks, but it is one of the first paintings to emerge from the legendary first year of Basquiat's mature oeuvre. It dates from a time when Basquiat was visually embodying the violence faced by urban communities, an eminently recurrent theme in his work. The painting depicts a skeleton policeman standing behind bars, symbolizing a reversal of roles and a powerful reminder of the deeply entrenched racism that pervaded the artist’s daily life. La Hara plays on the Puerto Rican word ‘jara’ – slang for ‘cop.’ This piece sold for $35 million at Christie's in 2017.

4. Dustheads, 1982: Possibly Jean-Michel Basquiat’s most famous work of art

The darkness present in Basquiat's artwork is ever-present in this piece. Dustheads depicts two people in his circle of friends who were using the drug PCP, also called Angel dust at the time. Basquiat died of a heroin and cocaine overdose and his addictive personality was no secret. This painting sold for $35 million in 2016.

5. Untitled Skull, 1982

This painting is also considered to be one of Jean-Michel Basquiat's most famous artworks. It broke the auction record for the highest price paid for a work or art by an American artist when it sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby's New York. It was purchase by the Japanese entrepreneur and art collector Yusaka Maezawa. This record was later broken by Andy Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, which sold for $195 million in May 2022. Warhol and Basquiat made several collaborative art pieces.

6. Versus Medici, 1982

This painting is making a reference to the Medici family, a famous family of Italian bankers who were considered to be the richest family in Europe between 1400 and 1500. This piece also pays homage to the great Renaissance artists. Basquiat was very interested in this period of art history, particularly Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. The painting was sold in May 2021 for $50.8 million.

7. Warrior, 1982

Among Jean-Michel Basquiat's most famous works of art is the famous Warrior. Some critics argue that this painting highlights Basquiat's experience and creativity as a black artist in the 1980s. This piece features Basquiat's signature motif of a crowned figure holding a sword, a symbol of invincibility. The painting was recently sold at auction in Asia for $41.9 million.

8. In This Case, 1983

In This Case is part of a triptych comprised of three massive paintings of skulls. The other two paintings are called Untitled from 1981 and 1982. In 2018, the Foundation Louis Vuitton organized a Basquiat retrospective that featured these three paintings - together for the first time – in a small, intimate space. In May 2021, In This Case was sold at auction at Christie's, New York, for $93.1 million.

9. Flexible, 1984

Priced at $45.3 million, this is one of Jean-Michel Basquiat's globally-renowned artworks, and also one of his largest, measuring eight feet high. It stands out from Basquiat's other work because he used a picket fence as a canvas. It highlights African culture, a recurrent and predominant theme in Basquiat's art. He became known as a key figure of the black community who proudly proclaimed his Creole heritage.

10. Riding with Death, 1988

Basquiat was very interested in anatomy. His mother gave him the prestigious medical textbook Gray's Anatomy when he was hit by a car at the age of 7, an accident that put him in the hospital for days. At the age of 10-years-old Basquiat’s fascination with anatomy and death had intensified. It is clear that his fascination never waned as it is the central element of this famous Basquiat painting.