Despite the prevalence of self-referential and autobiographical elements in his art, Jean-Michel Basquiat rarely identified his paintings as explicit representations of himself. Now, one of the artist’s few clearly labeled self-portraits will be on view to the public for the first time in two decades at Sotheby’s New York gallery in advance of the auction house’s Contemporary Evening Auction on November 15.
Painted in 1982, Self-Portrait as a Heel (Part Two) stands eight feet tall and is expected to sell for between $40 million and $60 million. It is considered the finest example of the artist’s self-portraiture, according to David Galperin, head of contemporary art for Sotheby’s America. “Unlike other paintings by Basquiat that have sly references to himself, this painting self-consciously renders an image not only of who he understands himself to be but also of the way he felt others would inevitably perceive him—a testament to his own searching for himself and his vision for the lasting legacy of his artwork,” he said in a statement.
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The work also stands apart for Basquiat’s use of “heel” in the title; it’s only three of his paintings incorporating the term. There are a variety of interpretations that can be applied to the usage, according to Sotheby’s, as the word describes not only delinquents and criminals but also professional wrestlers cast in anti-hero roles.
Basquiat’s works have fetched high sums at auction in recent years—his artist record was set in 2017 when Sotheby’s sold his 1982 work Untitled for $110.5 million, which at the time was the most paid for a work by an American artist. The auction house’s sale of Self-Portrait as a Heel (Part Two) is expected to exceed previous figures for self-portraiture by the artist, including a $12 million sale at Christie’s fetched in 2021 for a 1988 self-portrait.
Self-Portrait as a Heel (Part Two) last appeared at auction in 1999 when it was sold by Christie’s for $772,000. The painting was previously owned by Stephane Janssen, a Belgian art collector who also owned Basquiat pieces like his 1982 Anybody Speaking Words and Versus Medici, the latter of which was sold by Sotheby’s in 2021 for $50.8 million.
This self-portrait was created during Basquiat’s Los Angeles years
Known for his incorporation of social commentary and vivid use of color, Basquiat spent several months in Los Angeles in 1982 during which he produced numerous works that are today considered some of his finest. Upon his arrival, the artist stayed at the Venice home of art dealer Larry Gagosian, who subsequently hosted Basquiat’s first-ever West Coast exhibition. Self-Portrait as a Heel (Part Two) was included among the works shown at Gagosian Gallery’s location in West Hollywood.
During his time in Los Angeles, Basquiat was dating a then-unknown Madonna and socializing with cultural movers and shakers like fellow artist Robert Rauschenberg. After returning to New York in 1984, he continued to visit California until his untimely death in 1988.
