| Untitled (Head) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Jean-Michel Basquiat |
| Year | 1982 |
| Medium | Oilstick, ink and acrylic on paper |
| Movement | Neo-expressionism |
| Dimensions | 75.6 cm × 55.9 cm (29.75 in × 22.0 in) |
| Location | Private collection |
Untitled (Head) is a 1982 drawing created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982. It sold for $15.2 million at Sotheby's in June 2020, becoming Basquiat's most expensive work on paper.[1]
Executed in 1982, Untitled (Head) is an outburst of vivid color, bearing echoes to one of Basquiat's most well-known heads Untitled (1981). "Whereas Untitled (1981) presents the viewer with a mask-like visage caught somewhere between life and death, Untitled (Head) (1982) creates an effect that’s somewhat more supernatural because of its evocatively unnatural hues."[2] Reminiscent of an African mask, the drawing was created during a period when Basquiat was being recognized by the establishment for the first time after his "shift from street to studio."[3] Grégoire Billault, Head of Sotheby's Contemporary Art Department in New York, said in a statement, "Untitled (Head) encapsulates the very best of Basquiat’s brilliant career. There is a sense of urgency and immediacy in this painting that is truly exceptional—a prescient work that captures and defines 1980s New York, demonstrating the young artist’s profound psychological awareness."[2]
Heads and skulls are some of Basquiat's most sought after works.[4] Art historian Fred Hoffman analyzed the use of heads as a motif in Basquiat's oeuvre: "What drew Basquiat almost obsessively to the depiction of the human head was his fascination with the face as a passageway from exterior physical presence into the hidden realities of man’s psychological and mental realms…they not only peer out as if seeing, but also invite the viewer to penetrate within."[5]
In June 2020, the painting sold for $15.2 million at Sotheby's Contemporary Art Evening Auction, a new auction record for a Basquiat work on paper. It was also the Sotheby's highest price ever for a work sold to an online bidder.[6]
The painting has been exhibited at the flowing art institutions:
