Profit I

Created in Italy in 1982, at the height of his fame, Profit I is one of Basquiat’s most masterful works. In this painting, Basquiat mixes the precedent of historical painting with urban graffiti to create a heroic character that is part self-portrait and part voodoo shaman. This painting, since creation, has been in the collections of two art galleries, as well as the personal collection of Lars Ulrich, from the heavy metal band Metallica. Ulrich, who fought to buy the painting from the Swiss dealer Bruno Bischofberger, reluctantly sold the painting at auction in 2002 in order to raise funds to build a house for his growing family.