Jean-Michel Basquiat

Vrej Baghoomian Inc., New York
Private Collection, New York
Sotheby's, New York, 16 November 1995, Lot 203
Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont, Paris (acquired from the above sale)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2007

Paris, Galerie Jérôme de Noirmont, Jean-Michel Basquiat: Témoignage 1977-1988, October - November 1998, p. 91, illustrated in color 

Taka Kawachi, Ed., King for a Decade: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kyoto 1997, p. 141, illustrated in color

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of light wear and handling along the edges including an approximately ¾- inch repaired tear 11-inches from the lower right edge. There is a diagonal crease in the upper left corner. All smudges, media accretions and creases appear to be from the time of execution and inherent to the artist's working method. The sheet is hinged verso intermittently along the edges. Framed under Plexiglas.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

"The jazz comes up strongly, because I know he liked Miles Davis, and he adored Bird—Charlie Parker. I am told that the reason he loved Charlie Parker so much was because Charlie Parker looked like me. There was always, always music at home. I’ve always been a lover of jazz and classical music...As a child he used to draw on the coffee table, or on the floor while I played my jazz and read."

Gérard Basquiat,"Gérard Basquiat in His Own Words,” in Jeffrey Deitch, Franklin Sirmans, and Nicola Vassell, Eds., Jean-Michel Basquiat 1981: The Studio of the Street, New York 2007, p. 96