Most of the people who call us about Basquiat already know they want one. What they’re less sure about is which one, which edition, and whether what they’re looking at is what the seller says it is.

Those are the right questions. We’ve been placing Basquiat screenprints with collectors for years, and the people who end up happiest are the ones who took the time to understand the specific print in front of them. The image, the edition, the documentation, the size. All of it matters with Basquiat, maybe more than with almost any other artist we handle.

Our current Basquiat screenprints are signed and stamped by the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat. You can browse them above or on the individual artwork pages.

Original Basquiat paintings trade at a level few private collectors will ever touch. His Untitled skull from 1982 sold at auction in 2017 for over $110 million. That’s the ceiling, and it isn’t coming down.

Screenprints are how most serious collectors get Basquiat on their walls.

And screenprinting suits his work better than you might expect. His paintings were already built from flat color, hard-edged text, and graphic marks that came straight out of his street work. A well-made screenprint holds all of that. The layered words, the scratchy line, the blocks of color sitting on top of each other. It translates.

There’s also the simple fact that his imagery never gets old on a wall. Some art you stop seeing after a year. Basquiat doesn’t let you. Every time you walk past, there’s a word you hadn’t read or a figure you hadn’t noticed.

This is the first thing to get clear on when you start looking.

Basquiat made very few prints while he was alive. His career was short and he was painting at a furious pace, so lifetime editions are scarce and priced accordingly. When they come up, they tend to go quickly.

Most Basquiat screenprints on the market today are estate editions. These are made after his death with the authorization of his estate, reproducing specific paintings and drawings as carefully produced, limited screenprints. You’ll see them dated with two years, like Phooey, 1982/2021. The first date is the original work. The second is when the print was published.

Estate screenprints are a legitimate and well-established collecting category. They’re also where you need to pay the closest attention, because a legitimate estate print comes with a clear paper trail. Signatures and the estate stamp, an edition number, publisher documentation. If any of that is missing or vague, stop there.

Our inventory moves, so check the artwork pages or call for current availability. Recent and current Basquiat screenprints include:

King Alphonso, 2025. One of the more recent estate releases, and a strong example of the crowned figures that define so much of his work.

Odours of Punt, 2024. Punt was an ancient African kingdom, and the title is a good reminder of how much history Basquiat carried into his work.

The Figures Portfolio, 1982/2023. Drawn from 1982 figure drawings, available as individual prints: Untitled II, Untitled III, Untitled IV, and Untitled V. A good fit for collectors who want his line work without the density of the big text paintings.

Riddle Me This, A Panel of Experts, Piano Lesson, Flash in Naples, 2022. Available as a set or individually as Riddle Me This, Piano Lesson, and Flash in Naples.

Phooey, 1982/2021. “PHOOEY” is one of those words that keeps turning up across his work. It’s funny and dismissive and a little sad all at once, which is very Basquiat.

50 Cent Piece, 1982/2019. Money, value, and what things are worth. A theme he never stopped poking at.

Wolf Sausage, 1982–83/2019, Undiscovered Genius, and Dog Leg Study. From a portfolio of four screenprints based on works from 1982 and 1983, some of his most productive years.

Boxer Rebellion, 1982–83/2018. History, violence, and resistance packed into a single dense image.

Jawbone of an Ass, 1982/2005. An earlier estate edition based on one of his big history paintings, crowded with names and references.

Basquiat is one of the most faked artists in the world. That’s not meant to scare anyone off. It’s just the reality of an artist whose name carries this much weight, and it’s why buying from someone who can answer hard questions matters.

Documentation first. A legitimate estate screenprint should have estate signatures, the estate stamp, an edition number, and publisher records. Ask to see all of it before you talk price. The estate’s authentication committee dissolved in 2012, so there’s no longer a single body you can send a work to for a ruling. The paper trail has to stand on its own.

Edition size. Estate editions are limited, and the size varies from print to print. A smaller edition of a strong image is a different purchase than a larger run, even if the two look similar online.

Condition. These are works on paper. Paper reacts to light, humidity, and bad framing. Ask how the print has been stored and whether it’s ever been framed, and if so, with what.

Scale. Some of his prints are big. Some are modest. The imagery reads differently at different sizes, and a dense text-heavy composition needs room. Know your wall before you fall for a particular piece.

Who’s selling it. If you ask a direct question and get a vague answer, that tells you something.

Part of what makes collecting Basquiat so rewarding is how much there is to decode once the print is hanging in your home.

The three-pointed crown is the one everyone knows. He put it over the heads of Black athletes, jazz musicians, and people from the street, crowning figures the art world had ignored. Skulls and anatomical drawings trace back to a copy of Gray’s Anatomy he was given as a kid while recovering from a car accident. Copyright symbols and dollar signs poke at the art market that was buying him. And the crossed-out words are deliberate. He said he crossed them out so you’d look harder.

We go deeper into all of this in our guide to the meaning behind Basquiat’s paintings and graffiti, including the SAMO© years, Gold Griot, and a breakdown of the words and symbols that keep reappearing in his work.

He was also endlessly quotable. Lines like “Most young kings get their heads cut off” say as much about his work as any critic has. We collected some of the best in 25 Basquiat quotes, with the context behind each one.

Some collectors come in knowing the exact image they want and need help confirming it’s the right edition at the right price. Others just know they want Basquiat and haven’t figured out which print speaks to them yet.

We’re happy to have either conversation. We’ll tell you which examples we think are strongest right now, and we’ll tell you if a piece isn’t right for your space or your budget. That usually saves everyone time.

If you’re further along, maybe tracking a specific print or comparing pricing you’ve seen somewhere else, we’ll go into the details with you. Edition history, documentation, condition. Straight answers.

Looking for a specific Basquiat screenprint, want to know what’s available now, or just want to talk it through before deciding anything? Get in touch. Availability on Basquiat moves fast, and the best way to stay ahead of it is to be in direct contact with us.

Use the inquiry form on any artwork page, email contact@hamiltonselway.com, or call 310-657-1711.