February 10, 1985 Issue, Featuring Jean Michel Basquiat

The February 10, 1985 edition of The New York Times Magazine features an iconic photograph of Jean-Michel Basquiat on the cover, dressed in an Armani suit and notably without shoes. The accompanying article, entitled “New Art, New Money: The Marketing of an American Artist,” highlighted emerging contemporary artists of the time, including Basquiat, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf, and examined the intersection of art and commerce in New York’s booming 1980s art scene.

Widely regarded as one of the most important art-related publications of the past fifty years, this issue offers a rare and tangible connection to the rise of Basquiat as a leading figure in contemporary art, capturing him at a pivotal moment in his career and the broader downtown scene.