Stories & Videos

Anatomy of an Artwork

Explaining the Explosion of Iconography in Basquiat’s ‘Pyro’

LONDON | 3 OCTOBER

Urban chaos, graffiti-like figures, silkscreened animals, architectural shrines and curious scientific models converge and collide with dizzying force in Jean-Michel Basquiat’s spectacular painting, ‘Pyro’. Discover what the iconography means in this latest episode of Anatomy of an Artwork. Basquiat’s ‘Pyro’ is a highlight of our upcoming Contemporary Art Evening Auction (October 3 | London). Click here to watch more Sotheby’s videos.

Contemporary Art Evening Auction

3 October 2019 | 7:00 PM BST | London

Playlist

Anatomy of An Artwork
Most Recent

On Now

Explaining the Explosion of Iconography in Basquiat’s ‘Pyro’
On Now

Paul Gauguin's Tribute to His Mentor, Camille Pissarro | Sotheby's
On Now

Royal Jewels: Symbols of Power
On Now

John Constable’s quintessential image of the English countryside
On Now

A Transcendent Painting by Rembrandt: The Master of the Dutch Golden Age
On Now

The Anatomy of an Exquisite Gilded Torah Shield
On Now

Anatomy of an Artwork: Henry Koerner Subverts Reality in The Rosebush
On Now

Albrecht Dürer’s Striking Moment of Divine Intervention
On Now

Gaertner’s Expression of an Emerging German Enlightenment
On Now

The Hidden Masterworks within Picabia’s Transparencies
On Now

Pieter Brueghel’s Masterful Lampoon of the Legal Profession
On Now

Gustav Bauernfeind’s Monumental Market Scene in Jaffa

On Now

Dreaming in Glass: Unveiling The Metropolitan Museum’s Tiffany Windows
On Now

A Masterpiece of Sound: The Joachim-Ma Stradivarius
On Now

Inside Sotheby’s Important Design Sale: Curated by Pierre Yovanovitch
On Now

Attention, Fragile! At Sotheby's Salon in Paris
On Now

The Last McQueen Heuer Monaco: A Tribute to the Heuer Champions
On Now

The Rolex That Dove to Titanic’s Wreck: Cinematographer Alfred Giddings' Rolex Submariner
On Now

Hemmerle’s Impressive Bronze and Emerald Necklace
On Now

The Original Bidding Battle From Over a Century Ago: Botticelli Rediscovered
On Now

Frank’s Files: Inside the World of Jewels with Carol Woolton
On Now

What’s in a Name? Discover the Centennial Legacy of CITIZEN Watches

More from Sotheby's

The New York Sales

Nudes and Icons: Roy Lichtenstein's Most Cherished Works

The New York Sales

Leslie Odom Jr. on Kandinsky: Colors that Strike the Soul

The New York Sales

The Banana That Broke the Internet: Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian' Heads to Auction

The New York Sales

Monet, Picasso, Kandinsky and More: Sydell Miller's Legacy of Beauty

The New York Sales

Picasso's Masterful Contradictions | La Statuaire

The New York Sales

Woman in Tub by Jeff Koons

The New York Sales

Untold Stories of American Abstraction | Thomas and "Bunty" Armstrong's Collection

The New York Sales

Ed Ruscha’s American Georges’ Flag

The New York Sales

Contranuities by Stuart Davis | A Masterpiece by a Modern American Artist

The New York Sales

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Red Kings

The New York Sales

Keith Haring New York City Subway Drawings

The New York Sales

Modern Masterpieces from The Great Collector Harry Frank Guggenheim

Stay informed with Sotheby’s top stories, videos, events & news.

Receive the best from Sotheby’s delivered to your inbox.

Email Address

Title

First Name

Last Name

By subscribing you are agreeing to Sotheby’s Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Sotheby’s emails at any time by clicking the “Manage your Subscriptions” link in any of your emails.