A Crown for the Unseen

Basquiat’s three-point crown wasn’t just a signature—it was a coronation of the overlooked and underestimated.

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s most iconic motif—the crown—appears in dozens of his artworks, and each time it carries weight. With three points and thick lines, the crown was his way of elevating Black icons, fallen heroes, and even himself into a realm of reverence denied to them by mainstream history.

The crown was often drawn above athletes, jazz musicians, saints, boxers, and prophets—figures who, in Basquiat’s eyes, had earned their place among royalty. By drawing it, he wasn’t just commenting on power—he was redistributing it.

Sometimes the crown was neat and centered. Other times, it was aggressive and off-kilter. It was Basquiat’s way of saying: “This person matters. This story matters. I matter.”

Read the original article on Guy Hepner

Artwork: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Untitled (Crown), 1982