Since its opening on February 12, the exhibition “Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Thaddeus Mumford, Jr. Venice Collection” at the Orlando Museum of Art has caused much ink to flow. According to several specialists, 25 paintings shown for the first time to the public would be fake Basquiats.
A story too good to be true according to the New York Times ». The American media conducted an investigation around mysterious paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) which sow doubt across the Atlantic. Since the opening of its new exhibition on February 12, theOrlando Museum of Art (Florida) is at the heart of a debate on the authenticity of 25 unpublished works by the artist, proudly presented for the occasion. Entitled “Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Thaddeus Mumford, Jr. Venice Collection”, the event highlights the paintings created by the Prince of Brooklyn in his studio in Venice (California), in 1982, i.e. the “ best period of his short career “, specifies the museum on its site. An authenticity called into question by specialists and former relatives of Basquiat.
A determining source
How do you know if rediscovered, unpublished or disappeared works by Basquiat are true or false? There is no longer a scientific committee guaranteeing the authenticity of the artist’s work since 2012. The only way to determine today if a drawing or a painting by Basquiat is true is to know its pedigree, otherwise says the origin of the work. It is necessary to find the course of this one, from dealer to dealer, its mentions in the reference works, the exhibitions of museums in which it was shown or its passages in the auctions.
In the case of the 25 paintings presented at the Orlando Museum of Art, the provenance represents a whole romantic adventure. Painted on cardboard plates in 1982, the works were reportedly sold for around $5,000 in cash directly from Basquiat to Thad Mumford (1951-2018), an American television screenwriter and producer introduced to the artist by Madonna, then the girlfriend of the Prince of Brooklyn. “ It was the way he chose to be paid, cash, barter, clothes “explains gallery owner Larry Gagosian, close to Basquiat and his Californian neighbour. They would then have slept in a warehouse in Los Angeles until 2012, when William Force and Lee Mangin, a treasure hunter and his backer, would have acquired for only 15,000 dollars, the 25 paintings during a sale at auction.
Vue de l’exposition « Heroes & Monsters : Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Thaddeus Mumford, Jr. Venice Collection » . ©2022 MACBETH STUDIO
An element and testimonials that put the thumb in the ear…
While the receipt for the purchase was provided to the Orlando Museum of Art and several authenticity reports were commissioned between 2017 and 2019 by museum director Aaron De Groft, experts remain quite skeptical. Larry Gagosian finds this ” story scenario highly unlikely “. Indeed, the same year as their presumed realization, the artist was preparing an order for his gallery in Los Angeles, the dealer therefore followed his work closely. Also, John Seed, Basquiat’s assistant, told the New York newspaper that he never had knowledge of these paintings. If the story of their creation seems very mysterious, another element is also particularly disturbing. Among the 25 paintings, one of the paintings entitled Untitled (Self-Portrait or Crown Face II) was made on cardboard from a FedEx box that was not yet used at the time, according to an expert from the American carrier who originally designed the Univers 67 Bold Condensed typeface inscribed on the object. According to him, this policy was only used from 1994, six years after Basquiat’s death. On the composition side of the works, The way in which Jean-Michel Basquiat places elements in the composition has an internal logic, which is lacking here », Analyzes an art dealer who has worked with the artist.
Untitled, Self-Portrait or Crown Face II, attributed to Jean-Michel Basquiat. ©Orlando Museum of Art
… faced with the authentication of certain specialists
However, several experts and art historians have authenticated these 25 works, like the graphologist James Blanco who authenticated the signatures as being those of Basquiat, the art historian Jordana Moore of the University of Maryland , author of Reading Basquiat: Exploring Ambivalence in American Art in which she attributes two paintings to Basquiat, and the late curator Diego Cortez, founding member of the Estate. According to the director of the Florida museum, a poem written by Thad Mumford in 1982, which mentions the creation of these works, his meeting with Basquiat and which would be initialed in pencil by the artist, would likewise be irrefutable proof of the authenticity of all the paintings. Four days ago, faced with the dubious reception of some, the institution maintained its position on social networks: “ We carefully undertook a very rigorous process of research and evaluation before opening this exhibition. The works have been fully authenticated by credible sources, including the person who led the Estate Basquiat’s authentication committee. (…) We are certain of the authenticity of the works and are proud to present them for the first time to the public. »
Vue de l’exposition « Heroes & Monsters : Jean-Michel Basquiat, The Thaddeus Mumford, Jr. Venice Collection » . ©2022 MACBETH STUDIO
If the history of these 25 works remains quite strange, even contradictory on certain points, the exhibition at the Orlando Museum of Art gives them a certain credibility and could well confirm their authenticity, especially if a catalog is published for them. ‘opportunity. Thus, the owners could use this event and the work as new proof of authentication to resell them on the market. According to Putnam Fine Art and Antique Appraisals, the total estimate for the 25 paintings could approach $100 million.