Anatomy
18 works
Jean-Michel Basquiat Boxer Rebellion For Sale
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Boxer Rebellion, 1982/83-2018
Screen print
28 3/4 x 39 1/4 in73 x 99.7 cm
Edition
Edition of 60 plus 15 AP
About this work
Identified as a democratic street artist, the work of Basquiat is an aesthetic of Primitivism and Neo-Expressionism. Basquiat portrays aspects of his ethnic history as a political critique on racial discrimination and displacement by encoding a collection of words and images.Flexible was released as a screen print in 2016 by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The vaguely defined and obfuscated picture depicts a human who is shattered and torn. It seems to represent a West African narrator, the Griot. This artwork was likely, partly, an exploration of his own personality, considering Jean-Michel's artistic curiosity of his society and ethnicity. Basquiat, when asked, would define his art as heroism, the streets, and royalty. This artwork acts as a description of these three key themes in several respects. A tribal ruler is a figure Basquiat portrays. With hands outstretched and interlocked over his shoulders, his stance conveys faith and strength, qualities of his heroism. It seems that he is crowning himself. The essence of the support for the painting and how this material came about brings us back to the artist's roots on Manhattan streets.Hollywood Africans was released as a screen print in 2015 by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. It is based on a painting bearing the same title that features images and texts relating to stereotypes of African Americans in the entertainment industry. It was painted while Basquiat was on an extended visit to Los Angeles, California, in 1983. Several of the work’s notations are autobiographical: the trio of figures on the right depicts the artist with the rap musician Rammellzee and the painter Toxic, who had traveled with him from New York, and he includes the digits of his birth date: 12, 22, and 60. Other notations are historical: phrases such as “Sugar Cane,” “Tobacco,” “Gangsterism,” and “What is Bwana?” allude to the limited roles available to black actors in old Hollywood movies. The notion of exclusion or excision is reiterated in the way that Basquiat often crossed out words or phrases in his works. The technique, he explained, was actually meant to direct attention to them: “I cross out words so you will see them more; the fact that they are obscured makes you want to read them.”Boxer Rebellion was released as a screen print in 2018 by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat but is based on an original work created by the artist in 1982-83. Jean-Michel Basquiat would use boxers within his work many times, both in a generic sporting form, but also sometimes capturing several specific figures, such as Sugar Ray Robinson. Indeed, Sugar Ray himself is mentioned within the text of Boxer Rebellion.Two central figures, both boxers, take your focus initially, before the whole series of texts draws your eyes around the canvas. The style used across Boxer Rebellion is entirely typical of Basquiat, with his figures created from relatively simple lines, with only the occasional solid form. The perspective is entirely flat and most would describe them as cartoon-like. This was the artist at his expressive best, taking ideas from deep in his soul and allowing them to appear on canvas, just as they came out. There are some tightly worked areas of orange, red and pink colors, where one can still see the original strokes, but the majority of the artwork is of a white background with black text upon it.The text is entirely hard to understand, drawing together seemingly random themes such as boxing and China, as well as some financial terms. Basquiat was a highly complex individual who perhaps used these paintings as a form of therapy, removing ideas from his own mind onto the paper on which he worked and allowing them to escape from his enclosed mind. He suffered mental health issues and was homeless too, but somehow managed to overcome many hurdles to establish himself as a key part of the New York art scene that would help to put American art at the top of the international art would for a period during the 20th century. His contributions are celebrated today just as much, if not more, than they were then and there has also been a greater interest in Afro Caribbean artists recently, which has also helped Basquiat's legacy to continue to thrive.50 Cent Piece was released as a screen print in 2020 by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. The work centers around Marcus Garvey, a Black nationalist leader and political activist from Jamaica, combining text, images, and diagrams to create a “stream of consciousness” effect that dissects historical narratives and popular culture of the time. Phooey was released as a screen print in 2021 by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat and was based on an original work created by the artist in 1982. Basquiat collaged original drawings onto canvas when creating Phooey in a period before moving on to photocopied versions of his illustrations. The piece features Basquiat's iconic motifs. The crown and copyright symbol interlace patches of sporadic text and rough sketches.Each work is numbered, bears the Estate stamp and features the signatures of Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, the artist’s sisters and current administrators of the Estate.
Price on Application
Auction History
Boxer Rebellion · Jean-Michel Basquiat · Heritage Auctions · 2024-04 · $45,000
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About the Estate Prints Series
Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate Prints
The Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate Prints represent an extraordinary opportunity for collectors to acquire museum-quality reproductions of the artist's most iconic works, produced under the strict authorization of the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. These limited edition prints capture the raw energy and cultural significance of Basquiat's original compositions, translating his revolutionary visual language through advanced printing techniques that honor his distinctive style. Each release in this series undergoes rigorous quality control to ensure faithful color reproduction, texture, and the visceral impact that defines Basquiat's oeuvre.
The works included in this collection—ranging from 50 Cent Piece (1982/83-2020) and Flexible (1984-2016) to more recent estate authorizations like Odours Of Punt (1983-2024)—span the most critical period of Basquiat's meteoric career. These pieces exemplify his groundbreaking fusion of neo-expressionism, street art aesthetics, and profound social commentary. Masterworks such as Hollywood Africans (1983-2015) and Boxer Rebellion (1982/83-2018) showcase his unflinching examination of Black identity, cultural appropriation, and historical narrative, while pieces like Phooey (1982-2021) demonstrate his playful yet subversive relationship with text and image. The original paintings from which these prints derive regularly command eight-figure sums at auction, making estate-authorized editions an accessible entry point into one of the most important artistic legacies of the 20th century.
From a market perspective, Basquiat Estate Prints occupy a unique position within the contemporary art market. With original Basquiat paintings increasingly held in permanent museum collections and private holdings, these authorized editions provide collectors with authenticated works that carry both artistic merit and investment potential. Each print is produced in strictly limited editions with proper documentation and provenance from the estate, ensuring legitimacy in an art market where Basquiat forgeries remain problematic. As the artist's cultural influence continues to expand—evidenced by museum retrospectives, record-breaking auction results, and his pervasive impact on contemporary culture—these estate prints represent a stable collectible asset with historical significance.
Guy Hepner specializes in procuring authenticated Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate Prints for discerning collectors worldwide.
About Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat prints for sale at Guy Hepner include works from the Estate editions: Portfolio I, Portfolio II, the Anatomy series, Daros Suite, Superhero Portfolio, and Figures Portfolio. Basquiat original art for sale and Basquiat paintings for sale through our New York gallery are authenticated with full Estate provenance and catalogue documentation.
Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) remains one of the most powerful and sought-after artists in the history of contemporary art. A self-taught Neo-Expressionist who rose from the streets of Brooklyn to the highest echelons of the international art world, Basquiat's work commands extraordinary prices at auction and continues to attract serious collectors worldwide.
Jean-Michel Basquiat Paintings For Sale
Basquiat paintings for sale represent some of the most coveted works on the secondary market. His large-scale canvases — raw, urgent, and densely layered with text, symbols, and anatomical imagery — sell for tens of millions of dollars at the world's leading auction houses. The benchmark for Basquiat original art was set in May 2017 when Untitled (1982), depicting a skull-like head in yellow, red, and black, sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby's New York, making it the sixth-highest price ever achieved for an American artist at that time.
At Guy Hepner, Basquiat art for sale includes a curated selection of works on paper, rare prints, and portfolios from The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Basquiat Prints For Sale
Basquiat prints represent a more accessible entry point for collectors who want to buy Basquiat without competing at major auction. His limited-edition screenprints and lithographs — produced in collaboration with publishers during his lifetime and authorised posthumously by The Estate — retain strong value and are actively traded on the secondary market.
Among the most collected Basquiat print series available at Guy Hepner:
- Daros Suite — a landmark body of works on paper that documented Basquiat's mature Neo-Expressionist language
- Anatomy series — visceral explorations of the Black body, medicine, and power
- Portfolio I & II — seminal print portfolios featuring signature motifs including crowns, SAMO© tags, and anatomical diagrams
- Superhero Portfolio — bold, iconic images that recast Black figures as mythological heroes
- Figures Portfolio — expressive figure studies that trace Basquiat's gestural line from street art to fine art
- 50 Cent Piece — a graphic, politically charged print emblematic of Basquiat's engagement with race, value, and American currency
Basquiat: What to Collect
For new collectors approaching Basquiat art for sale, prints and works on paper offer the strongest combination of accessibility and long-term value. Auction data shows consistent demand across all price tiers, with rare portfolios and artist-proof editions commanding significant premiums over standard editions.
Collectors who buy Basquiat should prioritise:
- Provenance — documented chain of ownership back to The Estate or original publisher
- Edition size — smaller editions and unique works on paper carry greater scarcity value
- Condition — works in fresh condition with original framing or storage documentation
- Series significance — iconic motifs (crowns, skulls, SAMO, anatomical text) consistently outperform peripheral works
Basquiat original art in any medium is a long-term store of cultural and financial value. His place in the canon of twentieth-century art is unassailable, and institutional demand for major works continues to grow.
Basquiat Crown Symbol
The crown is Jean-Michel Basquiat's most enduring symbol — appearing in over 100 of his paintings and prints as a mark of royalty, genius, and cultural reclamation. Basquiat crowns appear across his most celebrated works: the Three-Pointed Crown motif from Untitled (Crown), Charles the First, Hollywood Africans, and the Daros Suite. When collectors search for Basquiat crown prints for sale, these estate-stamped editions — particularly the Portfolio I and II series — are the closest available equivalents to his painted crown imagery.
Basquiat Authentication
All Basquiat art for sale at Guy Hepner has been reviewed for provenance and authenticity. The primary authentication body for Basquiat's estate is The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat, which manages the artist's legacy and provides authentication services for works of sufficient documentation.
Collectors seeking to buy Basquiat prints or works on paper should always request a full provenance record, certificate of authenticity, and condition report. Guy Hepner provides all documentation with every sale and can assist collectors in navigating The Estate's authentication process for significant acquisitions.