Focus on Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump and explain the 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 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 purchased the painting for more than $100 million from American businessman and art collector Peter Brant. Brant's Basquiat collection was exhibited in 2019 at the Brant Foundation in New York. The sale was reportedly finalized before the COVID-19 pandemic earlier that year. A spokesman for Citadel, 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."In 2017, well-known British street artist Banksy created a tribute piece for Basquiat's Boy and Dog in a Johnnypump, which is permanently installed outside of the Barbican Centre in London titled Portrait of Basquiat being welcomed by the Metropolitan police.
Peter Brant Barbican Centre The New York Times Jean-Michel Basquiat Ken Griffin Brant Foundation johnny pump Citadel COVID-19 pandemic Banksy