King Alphonso

Medium: Screenprint in colors on Saunders Waterford 425 gsm
Year: 1982-83/2025
Sheet: 29×39 inches (73.7 x 99.1 cm)
Edition: 60
Artist’s Proofs: 15 AP
Printer’s Proofs: 5 PP
Bon a Tirer: 1 BAT
Publisher: Flatiron Editions, New-York
Printer: Brand X Editions, New-York

Stamped and and dated by Lisane Basquiat and Jeanine Heriveaux, the artist’s sisters and administrators of the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat.

 

Created in collaboration with the Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat and published by Flatiron Editions, this screen-printed edition of 60 was released on 5 November 2025 and available exclusively through Pace Prints.

Titled King Alphonso, the work references a Spanish monarch nicknamed “El Africano” during his reign from 1886 to 1931. King Alphonso III became a monarch at birth, as his father had died the year before, and was known for having so-called Africanist views in favor of Spanish colonization of Africa following the loss of territories after the Spanish-American War. King Alphonso, originally composed by Basquiat using acrylic and charcoal on paper, is a reflexive historiographic proposition saturated with the artist’s archetypal word-image expressionism.

The most identifiable element of the work, a three-point crown, an iconic, self-referential symbol for Basquiat, rests above an anomalous head set among unintelligible scribbles and emphatic sketches. The eponymous label written beneath this head, KING ALPHONSO, references the series of Spanish monarchs of the Iberian region, as a poignant expression of Basquiat’s contrived cultural heritage. King Alphonso XIII (r. 1886-1931), who was nicknamed “El Africano” for his support of the Africanist faction, was the last ruling monarch of Spain.

Basquiat invokes this controversial monarch to explore his recurring themes of race, power, and identity in a historical context. Expertly placing his crown atop the King’s head, Basquiat self-identifies with King Alphonso, configuring his own historical legacy, while simultaneously divulging his extensive historical prowess and stylistic proficiency.