Jean-Michel Basquiat: Charles the First Jigsaw Puzzle
This thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle features Jean-Michel Basquiat’s early work Charles the First (1982). The painting’s title references King Charles I of England, who was beheaded in 1649, while also serving as a tribute to musician Charlie Parker as a “king” of jazz. Realized across three attached canvases, this energetic painting juxtaposes the artist’s iconic imagery, including multiple crowns, with a field of text and gestural markings. In 2010, Jay-Z released the song “Most Kingz,” which was inspired by Basquiat and quotes his handwritten words in the triptych’s lower left corner: “MOST YOUNG KINGS GET THEIR HEAD CUT OFF.”
Producer: Rome Pays Off
Year: 2022
Material: Printed grayboard
Dimensions: Puzzle: 28 3/8 × 22 3/4 inches (72.2 × 58 cm); Box: 11 1/4 × 8 1/4 inches (28.5 × 20.9 cm)
