The $110 Million Skull: The Meaning Behind Basquiat's Iconic Motif
August 8, 2026
Why did Basquiat keep painting skulls? 💀 One sold for over $110 MILLION — the most ever paid for an American artist at auction. The answer traces back to a childhood accident and a copy of Gray's Anatomy that changed art forever. His skulls are X-ray visions: life and death, destitution and divinity, all at once. See iconic Basquiat works at Guy Hepner, NYC. 🖤
Works by Jean-Michel Basquiat
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Great Wind of Sphenoid, from Anatomy
Untitled 4 (from Leonardo)
In Color
M
Female Pelvis, Back View, from Anatomy
Untitled 1, from The Figure Portfolio
Left Side of Lower Jaw, from Anatomy
Flash In Naples, from Superhero Portfolio
Right Humerus, from Anatomy
Leg Of A Dog
50 Cent Piece
Per Capita, from Portfolio I
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