“Jean-Michel BASQUIAT and the cat” Photograph by James Van Der Zee.
Silver gelatin print of this mythical portrait depicting the American artist sitting pensively, with a Siamese cat on his lap.
6.000€
Silver gelatin print of this mythical portrait depicting the American artist sitting pensively, with a Siamese cat on his lap.
6.000€
[Jean-Michel BASQUIAT] (1960.1988)
Original photograph.
“Basquiat with the Cat” by James Van Der Zee.
New York. 1982.
Silver gelatin print, slightly later, of this mythical portrait depicting the American artist sitting pensively, with a Siamese cat on his lap.
The photograph appeared in January 1983 as an illustration for an Interview article:
From subways to Soho Jean Michel Basquiat
A print with striking contrasts and in perfect condition.
Size 24 x 18.50 cm. Scalloped edges.
Presented in a modern brown wood frame (40 x 35.50)
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A leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance cultural movement, American-born photographer James Van Der Zee (1886-1983) is known for his portraits of African-American New Yorkers. He discovered photography at the age of 14 and, self-taught, opened his own studio, Guarantee Photo , on 135th Street in Harlem.
In 1982, the date of this photograph, Van Der Zee, at 96 years old, proudly welcomed Jean Michel Basquiat, a young and prodigious shooting star of 21, into his Harlem studio, like a passing of the torch between two prominent figures in African-American artistic history.
A few weeks after this session, Basquiat reversed the roles and created the painted portrait of Van Der Zee, on a black background, captioning it in the margin with his famous crown and the capital letters VNDRZ.
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Bibliography (non-exhaustive):
. Henry Geldzahler. From subways to Soho Jean Michel Basquiat. Interview. 1983
. Van Der Zee Photographer. Exhibition Catalogue. 1993, p. 187.