Jesse James
Last week, Sotheby’s ended its Contemporary Art Evening Sale. In doing so, the art-house brought in a total profit of $218.3 million USD with an array of incredible selections. One notable sale was of a 1982 mixed media painting entitled Versus Medici by Jean-Michel Basquiat. The piece sold for $50.8 million USD, going just above its pre-sale estimate of $50 million USD.
Versus Medici is a self-portrait of the artist as a royal figure. Basquiat was inspired by the anatomical masterworks of Renaissance greats, including Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and others. The piece is described by Sotheby’s in a statement that indicates the artist subverts the notions of Western art “and crowns himself, the son of immigrants from Haiti and Puerto Rico.”
It goes on to add, “With great intensity and visual force, and acutely aware of the exclusion of artists based on race from institutional and critical consideration, Basquiat used his position at the periphery of the art establishment to forge a new and highly referential visual language.”
Other standout pieces from the auction include a 2011 oil on canvas painting by George Condo called Reclining Blue Form and a rare oil and spray paint on canvas work by Banksy featuring his iconic Flower Thrower stencil called Love is in the Air. Robert Colescott’s George Washington Carver Crossing the Delaware sold as well, going for $15.3 million USD.
Head over to Sotheby’s website to view all of the lots and keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more art news coming very soon.
Photos via Sotheby’s
