A Leonardo da Vinci-Inspired Basquiat Joins Christie’s 21st Century Evening Sale
The long-unseen artwork has a presale estimate of $30 million
A Jean-Michel Basquiat painting that engages with the fullness of art history is slated for auction next month. The artwork in question, Untitled (Leonardo and His Five Grotesque Heads), is the latest entrant to Christie’s slate for the prestigious November sales in New York, where it will hit the block on the night of November 19. Estimated at $30 million, the 7-by-7 foot acrylic and oil stick canvas is a response to da Vinci’s 1493 study, A man tricked by Gypsies, formerly known as Five Grotesque Heads.
“We know Basquiat was enthralled with Leonardo’s sketches from a young age, and in Untitled (Leonardo and His Five Grotesque Heads) we see him improvising off the great Master while tackling one of the canon’s most affecting themes, “The Grotesque.” Characteristically, Basquiat is able to completely reinvigorate the theme, recontextualizing it among the duplicities and the excesses of 1980s New York. A jewel within Basquiat’s oeuvre hidden for the last 20 years, this canvas represents the artist at his very best, and it is an absolute pleasure to present to the market this fall.”
Basquiat, whose sale prices frequently range between $15 million and $60 million, died in 1988 at the age of 27 after skyrocketing through the 1980s New York scene. His short life crossed paths with other boldface names: he dated Madonna before she was famous, and collaborated with Andy Warhol. In mid-2026, his exceptional 1983 work Museum Security (Broadway Meltdown) sold for $52.7 million, while his 1981 painting Crowns (Peso Neto) achieved $48.3 million in late 2025. But Basquiat’s record is $110.5 million for Untitled in 2017.