Jean-Michel Basquiat Print Authentication: What to Know Before Buying
Jean-Michel Basquiat died in August 1988 at 27. The decades since have seen his market ascend to the apex of contemporary art — a 2017 untitled skull painting sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby's, a record for an American artist at the time. This extreme value has created authentication problems throughout the category, including for prints and works on paper at more accessible price points.
The Estate and Authentication
The Basquiat estate is the primary authentication authority. The Authentication Committee of the Jean-Michel Basquiat Estate reviews works and issues certificates. Works that do not receive committee certification are not considered authentic. No secondary authentication service (PSA, JSA) is relevant here — the estate committee is the authority.
The Print Market Specifically
Basquiat produced relatively few traditional prints during his lifetime — his practice was primarily painting, drawing, and sculpture. Print editions and multiples attributed to Basquiat require particular scrutiny because the volume of estate-authorized posthumous prints (produced under estate license) creates potential for confusion about what constitutes a lifetime work versus an authorized posthumous multiple versus an unauthorized reproduction.
What to Require
For any Basquiat work: estate authentication documentation, provenance chain that predates 1988 where possible, and exhibition history. The absence of estate documentation is a hard stop regardless of the seller's story.
