El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile)

El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile)
Untitled (History of Black People)
Artist	Jean-Michel Basquiat
Year	1983
Medium	Acrylic and oil paint stick on panel
Movement	Neo-expressionism
Dimensions	172.5 cm× 358 cm(67.9 in× 141 in)
Owner	Private Collection

El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile) also known as Untitled (History of the Black People), ^{[1] [2]} is a painting created by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat in 1983. The artwork references Ancient Egypt and Southern United States culture to critique the Western society's understanding of history and its forgetfulness towards slavery.

The painting was sold at Christie's for $67.1 million in May 2023. ^[3] It was previously owned by fashion designer Valentino Garavani. ^[4]

Analysis

History of the Black People is made up of three canvases attached to hinged wooden board. According to Andrea Frohne, the painting "reclaims Egyptians as African and subverts the concept of ancient Egypt as the cradle of Western Civilization". ^[5]

At the center of the painting, Basquiat depicts an Egyptian boat being guided down the Nile River by Osiris, the Egyptian god of the earth and vegetation. ^[5] On the right panel of the painting, the words "ESCLAVE, SLAVE, ESCLAVE" appear on top of a black figure. Two letters of the word "NILE" are crossed out and Frohne suggests that, "The letters that are wiped out and scribbled over perhaps reflect the acts of historians who have conveniently forgotten that Egyptians were black and blacks were enslaved." ^[5] On the left panel of the painting Basquiat has illustrated two Nubian-style masks under the word "NUBA". Nubians historically were darker in skin color, and were considered to be slaves by the Egyptian people. ^[5]

Basquiat often incorporated Spanish words into his works as seen with "MUJER" (woman) written between the bottom mask and the silhouette of a woman. ^[6] Charles M. Tatum, editor for Encyclopedia of Latino Culture, analyzed that "The Nile relates symbols from Basquiat's heritage, such as Spanish words and African masks, to the tumultuous experience of modern-day street life." ^[7]

Throughout the rest of the painting, Basquiat highlights the "commercial exploitation of black people." ^[8] Images of the Atlantic slave trade are juxtaposed like hieroglyphics alongside images of the Egyptian slave trade centuries before. The repetition of the word "SICKLE" in the center panel is a direct reference to the slave trade in the United States, and slave labor under the plantation system. It may also refer to the illness sickle cell anemia, which is more common in African Americans in the United States compared to other ethnicities. ^[9] The word "SALT" that appears on the right panel of the work refers to the Atlantic slave trade, as salt was another important commodity traded at that time. ^[5] The phrase "EL GRAN ESPECTACULO" (the grand spectacle) stretched across the top of the painting, an "ironic commentary on a shameful, centuries-long tragedy." ^[1]

Exhibitions

El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile) was first exhibited in a show organized by Paige Powell in April 1983. Since then it has been included in various shows internationally, including retrospectives at the Whitney Museum in 1992 and the Brooklyn Museum in 2005. ^[10]

See also

• List of paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat
• 1983 in art

References

1. Vink, Amanda (2018-12-15). Postmodern Artists: Creators of a Cultural Movement. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p. 83. ISBN   978-1-5345-6607-1.
2. Beuck, Charles (January 12, 2020). "The Neo-Expressionist Art of Jean-Michel Basquiat". Medium. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
3. Schultz, Abby. "Jean-Michel Basquiat Triptych Achieves $67 Million at Christie's". www.barrons.com. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
4. Villa, Angelica (2023-05-16). "Basquiat Painting Sells for $67 M. During an Otherwise Sleepy Christie's 21st Century Art Sale". ARTnews.com. Retrieved 2023-05-18.
5. Frohne, Andrea (1999). "Representing Jean-Michel Basquiat". In Okpewho, Isidore; Carole Boyce Davies; Ali Al'Amin Mazrui (eds.). The African Diaspora: African Origins and New World Identities (1st ed.). Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 439–451. ISBN   978-0-253-33425-1.
6. Bernier, Celeste-Marie (2019-01-08). Stick to the Skin: African American and Black British Art, 1965-2015. University of California Press. p. 112. ISBN   978-0-520-28653-5.
7. Tatum, Charles M., ed. (2013). Encyclopedia of Latino Culture: From Calaveras to Quinceaneras [3 Volumes]: From Calaveras to Quinceañeras. 217: ABC-CLIO. ISBN   978-1-4408-0099-3.
8. Iskin, Ruth E. (2016). Re-envisioning the Contemporary Art Canon: Perspectives in a Global World. Taylor & Francis. p. 67. ISBN   978-1-317-27504-6.
9. "Sickle Cell Anemia Predominant Among African Americans". Network of the National Library of Medicine. February 8, 2018.
10. "Jean-Michel Basquiat - El Gran Espectaculo (The Nile)". Christie's.