“Charles the First,” created by Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982, employs acrylic and crayon on canvas within the genre of figurative art. This artwork, as a prominent piece of the Neo-Expressionism and Street Art movements, measures 198 by 158 centimeters.
The artwork is characterized by Basquiat’s signature style, featuring chaotic, layered imagery and text. It is divided into three vertical segments, predominantly showcasing a vibrant palette with extensive uses of yellow, blue, and hints of black and red. The left panel features the word “THOR” beneath a crown symbol, accompanied by various other texts and symbols such as “HALO ES FIFTY NINE CENT,” which are sporadically placed and scribbled in different directions. The center panel includes an encircled word “COPYRIGHT” and additional abstract forms and writings. In the right panel, phrases like “1. OPERA,” “CHEROKEE,” and a series of crown motifs are observed, which evoke the multifaceted expressions laden with social commentary and personal reflections typical of Basquiat’s oeuvre.
