The Best Basquiat Painting Investments of All Time

Whether you have the perfect spot to hang a Basquiat original or want to swipe through his work on your phone, there are various ways you can invest in this iconic artist.

Bid-by-bid

Highbrow auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s are where you’re most likely to find lots featuring rare and exciting artwork by Basquiat and Warhol. If you want to own a valuable piece of art history, be prepared to spend big and spar with competitive bidders. 

Many art collectors who are interested in Basquiat’s work are also billionaires with plenty of room in their private galleries for another alternative asset. But even if you’re not Yusaka Maezawa or Jay Z, Basquiat can still be a part of your collection.

Enjoy the fund

Yieldstreet has launched several art investment funds with the mission of making the fine art asset class more accessible. They let you invest in works by contemporary artists like Banksy and Yayoi Kusama, as well as pop artists like George Condo and Keith Haring. They also created an Artists of Harlem fund that featured the work of Harlem Renaissance artists, such as Faith Ringgold and Alice Neel.

The company seems to be betting on Basquiat—his work is featured in their Art Equity Fund IV, and they sponsored the 2022 King Pleasure Basquiat exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. 

Yieldstreet reports that their art investments have brought in a net annualized return of 12.2%, which falls slightly below their target return of 15 to 20%, but outperforms the S&P 500’s return of up to 10% over the past 25 years.