The artwork titled “Gravestone,” created by Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1987, is an acrylic and crayon composition on a canvas measuring 140 x 172.4 cm. This piece, which falls under the genres of Neo-Expressionism and Street Art, is a figurative work that currently resides in a private collection.
In this compelling piece, Basquiat employs a triptych of door-like panels. The left panel features a prominently painted yellow cross beside what appears to be a simplistic, black, abstracted flower. The central panel showcases the word “PERISHABLE” inscribed and overwritten in black and red, adding a sense of urgency and mortality to the composition. Subtle numeric and text elements are scattered within, adding layers of mystery. The right panel conveys a haunting, oversized face with exaggerated red lips and hollow eyes, executed with expressive overlapping and dripping paint. The juxtaposition of these elements evokes themes of life, death, and the human condition, quintessential to Basquiat’s evocative artistry.
