King Alphonso - Jean-Michel Basquiat
Archival giclée
Frames arrive ready to hang
Secure checkout
Made to order
Description
A striking 1983 portrait by Jean-Michel Basquiat, featuring his iconic crown motif and raw, expressive line work.
King Alphonso, created in 1983, displays the raw, energetic visual language that defined Jean-Michel Basquiat's career. The work features a central, mask-like head rendered in a striking red, surrounded by a network of schematic lines, geometric shapes, and cryptic symbols. Above this figure sits the artist's signature crown motif, a recurring element in his body of work that explores themes of power, status, and identity. The composition is deliberately chaotic, blending the aesthetic of street-level graffiti with the formal concerns of modern painting.
Basquiat utilised oilstick and acrylic to create a surface that feels immediate and unrefined. The lines are jagged and urgent, suggesting a rapid process of creation. The inclusion of the name 'King Alphonso' at the base of the canvas anchors the work, providing a specific, if enigmatic, subject for the viewer. The surrounding technical diagrams and abstract marks create a sense of mechanical or anatomical study, contrasting with the expressive, almost primitive rendering of the face. This juxtaposition of high-art technique and street-art spontaneity is characteristic of the Neo-expressionist movement that emerged in New York during the early 1980s.
By incorporating text and symbols, Basquiat invites the viewer to decode the image, though the meaning remains intentionally elusive. The work functions as a visual diary, capturing the frenetic energy of the urban environment and the artist's own internal dialogue. The limited colour palette, dominated by black, red, and yellow, ensures that the focus remains on the graphic quality of the marks. This print captures the texture and immediacy of the original, offering a clear view of the artist's hand and his distinctive approach to portraiture.
Return policy
Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
Shipping
We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
King Alphonso - Jean-Michel Basquiat
Artist Biography
Jean Michel Basquiat
He had no formal art training. He dropped out of school at seventeen and slept on park benches and friends' floors. He sold hand-painted postcards and t-shirts. He gate-crashed a restaurant where the critic Henry Geldzahler was eating with Andy Warhol and handed them a postcard. Warhol bought one. The art world opened.
By twenty-one he was showing in galleries. By twenty-two he was the youngest artist ever invited to Documenta in Kassel. The paintings are dense, layered, furious: text fragments, anatomical drawings, crown symbols, crossed-out words, references to Black history, jazz, boxing, anatomy textbooks, and street signage. They look unplanned but they are not. The crossed-out words are deliberate. He wanted you to read them, then register the erasure.
He and Warhol collaborated on a series of paintings in 1984 and 1985. The relationship was complicated by the art market's tendency to treat Basquiat as Warhol's protege rather than his peer, and by the fact that Warhol, older and more established, got better reviews for the joint work. Basquiat pulled away.
He died of a heroin overdose in 1988, at twenty-seven. His paintings now sell for over 100 million dollars. He would have found that both satisfying and absurd.
Why Choose Us ?
Damage-free delivery guarantee
Fast Shipping
Museum-Quality Materials
You May Also Like