Anatomy
18 works
Jean-Michel Basquiat Superhero Portfolio For Sale
Jean-Michel Basquiat
Superhero Portfolio, 1982/87-2022
The complete set of four screen prints
40 x 40 in (each) 101.6 x 101.6 cm (each)
Edition
Edition of 85 plus 20 AP , 5 PP , 1 BAT (each)
About this work
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Superhero Portfolio is a dynamic and irreverent quartet that reimagines the language of comic books through the artist’s raw, confrontational visual vocabulary. Across four square compositions, Basquiat collapses heroism, satire, and social critique into a frenetic mix of figures, symbols, and scrawled text, transforming the superhero archetype into a vehicle for questioning power, identity, and spectacle.Each print operates as its own visual universe, populated by mask-like heads, skeletal bodies, cartoonish gestures, and bursts of handwritten language. Laughter—“HA,” “HEE,” “HO”—appears repeatedly, reading as both mockery and nervous energy, while diagrams, symbols, and fragmented phrases interrupt the figures like intrusive thoughts or marginal notes. Basquiat’s palette is characteristically volatile, with acidic yellows, reds, blacks, and blues colliding against pale grounds that feel scraped, revised, and unstable.Rather than celebrating invincibility, Basquiat’s superheroes appear awkward, exposed, and psychologically charged. Their exaggerated limbs and distorted faces suggest vulnerability beneath bravado, while references to consumer culture, violence, and futility undermine the promise of rescue or redemption. The comic-book format becomes a stage for irony: heroes who falter, narratives that fracture, and myths that refuse to resolve.As a complete set, the Superhero Portfolio reads like a visual chorus—four voices riffing on the same theme from different angles. Translated into screen print, the works retain the urgency of Basquiat’s mark-making while emphasizing their graphic punch. Together, they stand as a sharp meditation on modern mythmaking, exposing how symbols of strength and morality are constructed, commodified, and ultimately questioned. For more information onJean-Michel Basquiat’s Superhero Portfolio for sale, contact our New York and London galleries via the form below.
Price on Application
Auction History
Sabado por la Noche (Saturday Night) · Jean-Michel Basquiat · Christie's · 2025-03 · $1,849,653
More from this series
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About the Superhero Portfolio Series
Jean-Michel Basquiat: Superhero Portfolio
The Superhero Portfolio represents a significant posthumous edition that captures Jean-Michel Basquiat at the height of his creative powers in 1982, a pivotal year when the artist transitioned from underground sensation to art world phenomenon. This carefully curated series of screenprints translates Basquiat's raw, explosive energy and iconic visual vocabulary into a format that democratizes access to his groundbreaking aesthetic while maintaining the intensity and complexity of his original works. Each piece in the portfolio bears the unmistakable Basquiat signatures: frenetic linework, cryptic text fragments, skeletal figures, and the artist's distinctive crown motif, all rendered with the spontaneous urgency that defined his practice.
The technical execution of the Superhero Portfolio demonstrates exceptional fidelity to Basquiat's multifaceted approach, capturing the layered textures, dynamic mark-making, and vibrant color relationships that characterize his most celebrated canvases. Works such as "Flash In Naples" and "Riddle Me This" showcase the artist's ability to synthesize high and low cultural references—from Gray's Anatomy to comic books, jazz to street culture—creating a visual language that remains as relevant and provocative today as it was in the early 1980s. The portfolio format allows collectors to engage with multiple facets of Basquiat's iconography, from the intellectually charged "A Panel of Experts" to the musically resonant "Piano Lesson".
From a market perspective, the Superhero Portfolio occupies an important position within the Basquiat collecting landscape. As original Basquiat canvases regularly achieve eight-figure results at auction and remain largely institutionalized, this portfolio series offers sophisticated collectors an opportunity to acquire authenticated works that embody the artist's revolutionary vision. The 1982/87-2022 edition represents a bridge between historical significance and contemporary availability, making it particularly attractive for both established collectors seeking to expand their Basquiat holdings and discerning newcomers building museum-quality collections. The portfolio's structured format and limited nature ensure continued appreciation potential within the robust market for Post-War and Contemporary blue-chip artists.
Available through Guy Hepner, specialists in contemporary and Pop Art editions.
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.