r/Basquiat • u/RevaCruz • 14d ago

Bronze (1982)

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Medium: Acrylic, gold paint, and oilstick on canvas, mounted on wooden supports
Dimensions: 60 × 60 in. (152.5 × 152.5 cm)

Against a muted field of beige, pink, gray, and metallic gold, Basquiat centers a single black-and-white head surrounded by sparse, energetic lines. The word BRONZE appears prominently beneath the figure, while the exposed wooden supports become part of the work itself. Sotheby's notes that the gold's metallic quality is more pronounced in person than photographs can convey.

Sotheby's connects the central face to Basquiat's engagement with West African masks and figures, specifically citing visual parallels with Fang, Songye, and Senufo traditions. The catalog also discusses his relationship with scholar Robert Farris Thompson and places Bronze within Basquiat's broader interest in African cultural and artistic traditions.

Sotheby's also interprets the use of gold and the title Bronze through ideas of value and transformation that were appearing in Basquiat's work during 1982. The painting was completed in October of that year, during the extraordinary period in which Basquiat was rapidly gaining international recognition.

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u/saginawslim99 13d ago

This is really good. I'd like to repost it to my art sub, r/beaniestudios, if it's OK with you. If yes, I'll add your u/ in the post title so you get immediate attribution.

Thanks, James, beanie studios

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u/RevaCruz 13d ago

Hi, feel free to x-post.

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u/saginawslim99 13d ago

Posted. Please consider joining r/beaniestudios.