This is an original acrylic on canvas painting, in the manner of the legendary contemporary artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat. The artwork is exemplary of his unique style. Medium: Acrylic on canvas. Edition: Unique, original work of art. Condition: Very good. Signature: Lower right on recto, center on verso. Size: 20 x 24 in. Frame 22 x 26 in. The art is hand-signed & dated on the front and also signed & dated on the verso (back of the canvas). Basquiat signed his art in different ways and sometimes multiple times on the same artwork. His three-point crown is a recognized symbol of his signature and his earlier artwork is also identified by the word SAMO, which he painted on nearly all of his earliest artwork. He often used only his initials as his signature and sometimes used his full name on the front of his art and his initials on the verso. The crown is typically seen on many pieces of his artwork, front and/or verso of the art. The verso of Basquiat's artwork is very important in the authentication process of his art. He was one of very few famous artists who painted on the verso and considered the entire canvas a flowing stream of his expression of the artwork. His career started in his late teens and by the time he was in his early twenties, his art was already featured in art shows in Italy. However, it was in 1981 that Basquiat was featured at the Annina Hosei Gallery in New York City. He had many shows at the Hosei Gallery, some with other artists such as Keith Haring. Jean-Michel's early works in particular, depicted his amazing intelligence displaying what he called the dichotomies of life. Basquiat was largely responsible for elevating graffiti into the realm of the New York art world. Tangled patches of color, symbolic images and scribbled words, referenced everything from his heritage, to political issues, pop-culture icons, and even Biblical verse. This piece of art now being auctioned at Four Seasons Auction along with other acrylic on canvas artwork in the manner of Basquiat, also in this auction, are part of a private collection of some of his earliest and most collectible pieces. All of the canvas artwork was professionally framed in beautiful simple floating frames to direct focus to the art itself. All of the pieces were closely inspected (including long-wave UV light used in the process). There was no fluorescent indication of repairs, floating signature, over-painting or over-cleaning. The private estate owner/consignor collected fine art for almost 40 years. He also inherited many pieces from his father, also a physician/surgeon who operated on many celebrities including several famous artists. The owner stated that, although some of my collection is without accompanying documentation such as certificates, I never wasted time or money on art that was likely to be fake or not original as claimed. Over the years of collecting fine art, great expense went into appraising, occasional authenticating and re-framing with acid-free matting to maintain the correct preservation of the artwork. The artwork, such as this original, is conservatively valued as indicated by the noted estimate (Est.). Similar original fine art attributed to Basquiat, of similar size & medium, has typically sold privately and in auctions for over $25,000 and considerably more. This art is framed and again, in excellent condition. The owner has consigned another Basquiat piece of his collection to this auction. This original artwork will be a fabulous addition to any serious fine art collection. Congratulations to the winning bidder!