His vigilant gaze directed at the viewer, his gloved fists clenched, boxing legend Sugar Ray Robinson appears ready to clobber his opponent with jabs and crosses at breakneck speed. Signaling vigor and courage, his flesh is red, underscoring his ferocity and erupting from the lavishly-textured golden yellow and orange oilstick background. Eschewing, for a moment, his orthodox stance, the imposing figure appears to float, magnifying his godlike status in the sports pantheon.
Sugar Ray Robinson (1982) by Jean-Michel Basquiat is expected to fetch in the region of $35 million when it goes on the block November 17 as the top lot of the 21st Century Evening sale at Christie’s New York. Executed during Basquiat’s most salient year, the rare and vigorous painting will be on public view at the Rockefeller Center galleries beginning October 29.
“Sugar Ray Robinson is best in class for Basquiat and a masterpiece within his lexicon. This picture ticks all the boxes so to speak. You have Sugar Ray as the subject, a strong, Black figure in a frontal stance staring at you in all his grandeur – heroic and a warrior,” Isabella Lauria, Christie’s Head of the 21st Century Evening Sale, said via email late last night. “From a technical standpoint, Sugar Ray Robinson is a culmination of the many facets of Basquiat’s genius, invoking his characteristic rawness and intensity through his layered, textured and almost frenetic use of oilstick and acrylic. The power in this painting is palpable, as Sugar Ray in his strong frontal boxing stance braces himself to face his opponent, as does Basquiat in a way.”
Painted a year before Robinson was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and seven years before he died, the portrait cements his status as a reckoning force in sports history and Black history. A hero to Basquiat, Robinson is widely regarded as the world’s best prizefighter, pound-for-pound, of all time. Like Basquait, Robinson was also regarded for his flamboyant lifestyle, a cultural hero as well as the greatest boxer. Both men amplify Black historical narratives, and Basquiat’s ferocious depictions of Black athletes, beginning with his celebration of baseball player Hank Aaron, firmly root his sports heroes in art history. Basquiat’s visual and textual homages to world-renowned Black athletes including Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Jersey Joe Walcott, and Jackie Robinson bolster Black history by bringing them into the art historical canon and expanding their legacies.
“There are two paintings of Sugar Ray – one depicts a stark white outline with the boxer’s name and the present example, the largest of the two, depicts the full figure in a frontal boxing stance, dynamically painted in all of the glory of Basquiat’s most inspired and historic period, 1982,” said Lauria. “The present work sits among the best of Basquiat’s output, an image of a warrior, fighter and Black athlete transcending into the realm of hero and icon.”
The works Basquiat created just six years before his untimely death in 1988 are his most valuable and exceptional market leaders, exemplifying the peak of his mastery.
Sugar Ray Robinson was last sold to London jeweler Laurence Graff for $7.3 million at Christie’s in 2007. The work was reportedly sold for about $24 million in 2016 by Brett Gorvy, right before he left Christie’s after 23 years to fortify an empire with Dominique Lévy. Gorvy
posted an image of the painting on Instagram, and it was reportedly scooped up by an American buyer. Lauria declined to comment on previous or potential buyers, citing Christie’s policy.
“The last time this picture came to auction was 15 years ago. Over the past 15 years, Basquiat’s work has continued to push the metaphorical ceiling, transcending him to the position of arguably the very best Black Contemporary painter,” said Lauria. “In Sugar Ray Robinson, Basquiat is paying homage to one of his heroes. To show this picture as the top highlight of the 21st Century Evening Sale directly following the sale of the Paul Allen Collection, the very best collection in auction history amassed by a hero of our own generation, is a further testament to Jean-Michel’s prized position in the art historical canon.”
If you’re in New York between October 29 and November 17, you owe it to yourself to view this work in person, as the size, technical details, and composition lend to a fuller appreciation of this robust depiction. Auction previews provide opportunities to engage with masterworks that are rarely on public view. Sugar Ray Robinson has been displayed only twice, at Annina Nosei Gallery in New York and at Galerie Delta in Rotterdam. It was held in a private collection in Amsterdam (1986) before being sold in 2007, and was acquired from a private collection in Switzerland in 2016.
It was sublime to explore from many angles the pairing of Portrait of the Artist as a Young Derelict, three conjoined panels that simultaneously perform as self-portrait and altarpiece, and See Plate 3, a canvas and wood construction sculpture, at Christie’s in April. Both breakthrough works were executed in 1982, and featured in Basquiat’s explosive solo show at FUN Gallery, which burst from the East Village punk scene. Their reunion at Christie’s was a gripping flashback to the heyday of the unrivaled 1980s New York City art scene, and when Basquiat reigned and elevated counter culture to blue chip art alongside Andy Warhol and Keith Haring.
Stay connected with us on social media platform for instant update click here to join our Twitter, & Facebook
We are now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@TechiUpdate) and stay updated with the latest Technology headlines.
For all the latest Art-Culture News Click Here