Christie's will offer Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1982 painting *Baby Boom* as a highlight of its 21st century evening sale this May, with an estimate of $20–30 million. The work, a stylized family portrait believed to depict Basquiat with his parents, was first shown at his landmark Fun Gallery solo exhibition in 1982 and has been featured in major retrospectives at the Brooklyn Museum, Fondation Beyeler, and Fondation Louis Vuitton. Previously owned by collector Peter Brant—who bought it for $1 million in 2001—the painting was later offered at Levy Gorvy's Art Basel stand in 2017 for $30 million.
The sale matters because 1982 is considered Basquiat's most important year, with seven of his ten top auction prices coming from that period. The painting's provenance—from a major collector to a prominent gallery to a museum-exhibited work—underscores the enduring strength of the Basquiat market. The auction also signals the broader spring marquee season, with Christie's offering a $50 million Monet and Sotheby's selling 15 works from dealer Daniella Luxembourg's collection, indicating sustained high-end demand.