''Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump'' is a painting created by American artist

Jean-Michel Basquiat Jean-Michel Basquiat (; December 22, 1960 – August 12, 1988) was an American artist who rose to success during the 1980s as part of the Neo-expressionism movement. Basquiat first achieved fame as part of the graffiti duo SAMO, alongside Al ...

in 1982. The artwork, which depicts a boy with a dog, is among the most expensive paintings ever purchased. It was purchased for over $100 million in 2020, becoming Basquiat's second most expensive painting following ''Untitled'' (1982), which was sold for $110.5 million in 2017.

History

''Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump'' was executed by Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1982, which is considered his landmark year. Reflecting on that period in an interview with ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' in 1985, Basquiat said: "I had some money, I made the best paintings ever." Measuring at nearly 14 feet wide and 8 feet high, the painting depicts a skeletal black boy and dog painted in similar style. They're center of the canvas in the spray of an open fire hydrant. A johnny pump is a New York slang term for a fire hydrant that is open in the summer for kids to play in the water. The warm colors suggest a "blazing hot summer landscape." In June 2020, it was reported that American businessman and art collector

Ken Griffin Ken Griffin (1914–1988) was a Western cowboy, leather worker, magician, and author. As a leatherworker, Griffin helped transition leathercraft from strictly a vocation to an accessible hobby through his work and teaching. As a magician, Griffin ...

purchased the painting for more than $100 million from American businessman and art collector

Peter Brant Peter Mark Brant Sr. (born March 1, 1947) is an American industrialist, as well as a magazine publisher, film producer, and art collector. He is married to model Stephanie Seymour. Early life and education Brant was raised in Jamaica Estates, ...

. Brant's Basquiat collection was exhibited in 2019 at the

Brant Foundation The ''Brant Foundation Art Study Center'' is a private art collection and gallery with exhibition spaces in New York City and nearby Greenwich, Connecticut. The collections, focused on modern and contemporary art, are privately owned by Peter Bra ...

in New York. The sale was reportedly finalized before the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

earlier that year. A spokesman for

Citadel A citadel is the core fortified area of a town or city. It may be a castle, fortress, or fortified center. The term is a diminutive of "city", meaning "little city", because it is a smaller part of the city of which it is the defensive core. In ...

, Griffin's investment firm, released a statement that "the vast majority of Ken's art collection is on display at museums for the public to enjoy. He intends to share this piece as well."

Exhibitions

Ken Griffin, who is a trustee and financial benefactor of the

Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...

, loaned ''Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump'' to the museum in July 2020. The painting had previously been exhibited at the following art institutions: * ''Jean-Michel Basquiat'' at Serpentine Gallery in London, March–April 1996. * ''Basquiat'' at Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, October 2010–January 2011; Brant Foundation in New York, March–May 2019.

References

{{Jean-Michel Basquiat Paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat 1982 paintings Dogs in art Black people in art Paintings in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago

History

Exhibitions

See also

References