19th Jun, 2024 18:00

Urban & Contemporary Art

Lot 182

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Richard Hambleton (Canadian 1952-2017), 'Shadow Cat', 1997

Sold for £12,500

inc.premium

Condition Report

In very good/artists condition
No signs of paint loss or restoration
Minor chip to the upper right hand corner of the wooden panel and minor wear to lower edge, visible upon close inspection
Chips to upper left and lower right hand corners of the panel verso, these are not visible recto.

Richard Hambleton (Canadian 1952-2017), 'Shadow Cat', 1997, unique acrylic on wood, signed and dated recto, bearing the Woodward Gallery, N.Y.C unique reference number verso; 79.5 x 45.5cm

Auction: Urban & Contemporary Art, 19th Jun, 2024

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E1 6QL

Friday 14th June 10am - 6pm
Saturday 15th June 10am - 6pm
Sunday 16th June 10am - 6pm
Monday 17th June 10am - 3pm

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Richard Hambleton

Richard Hambleton, frequently acknowledged as the "godfather of street art," was a pivotal figure in the emergence of New York's downtown art movement, alongside contemporaries Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. He gained prominence for his ominous "Shadowmen" and "Horse and Rider" motifs—gruesome black silhouettes that seem to have been created in a moment of explosive action. Initially tagging across the United States and Canada, he established his base in New York in 1979. Throughout the 1980s, he left his mark on the alleyways of Lower Manhattan before transitioning from street art to studio work, producing pieces on canvas and paper. Although he exhibited at the Venice Biennale during the 1980s, he fell into relative obscurity in the 1990s and early 2000s due to personal struggles with health and addiction that distanced him from the art community. Today, Hambleton's artwork is included in prestigious collections such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art. His pieces consistently fetch six-figure sums at auction.