Art News. Vasari Codex

The Most Expensive Jean-Michel Basquiat Works Ever Sold at Auction

ARTnews published a listicle ranking the most expensive Jean-Michel Basquiat works ever sold at auction, updated as of May 15, 2026. The article traces Basquiat's rise from street artist under the moniker SAMO to a major figure in the downtown New York scene, highlighting key relationships with Keith Haring, Diego Cortez, and curator Henry Geldzahler. It notes that Basquiat's entire mature output was created between 1981 and 1984, and that his 1983 painting *Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown)* sold at Sotheby's in May 2026 for $52.7 million, placing it among his top sales. The piece also details earlier top sales, including *Untitled* (1982) for $29.3 million at Christie's in 2013 and *Flesh and Spirit* (1982–83) for $30.7 million at Sotheby's in 2018.

trending_up market schedule May 21, 2026 visibility 5 link 3 artists, 1 gallery

Gerhard Richter ‘Candle’ From Estate of Revered Dealer Marian Goodman Falls Short of a Record at $35.1 M.

A Gerhard Richter painting, *Kerze (Candle)* (1982), from the estate of the late dealer Marian Goodman sold at Christie’s on Wednesday evening for $35.1 million (with fees), falling short of the artist’s $46.3 million record set over a decade ago. The lot, estimated at $35–$50 million, was guaranteed by a third party and drew a hammer price of $30 million after less than two minutes of subdued bidding. Goodman, who represented Richter for decades until he left for David Zwirner in 2022, had purchased the work directly from the artist in 1989 and held it for nearly 40 years. The painting was one of eight Richter works from Goodman’s estate offered in the combined “Marian’s Richters & 21st Century Evening Sale.”

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