This Basquiat-Tagged Apartment Will Cost You $29,000 Per Month

The late artist used the tag on everything from subway cars to canvases.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

A Nolita apartment that once belonged to the late artist Duane Hanson, known for his hyperrealistic sculptures of everyday people, is available for rent—if you’re prepared to pay a whopping $29,000 a month, that is. That may sound like a lot of cash, but consider this: the 4,000-square-foot pad at 184 Grand Street also comes with a prominent “SAMO©” tag by artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.

Given that Basquiat works typically sell for several millions, perhaps the price isn’t all that bad. In May 2015, a 13-foot painting by the late artist sold for $37 million at Christie’s. However, the owner of the work remains a mystery.

Photo: Brian Zak.

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “SAMO” tag.
Photo: Brian Zak.

The New York Post reports that the signature tag, which Basquiat famously scrawled on everything from canvases to subway cars in the late seventies and early eighties, is located on a wall in the fourth-floor hallway, and has been preserved by the owners of the building. No word on exactly when the tag was completed, but we like to imagine it as the result of some kind of glamorous late-night shenanigans.

Photo: Corcoran.

An interior view of the space.
Photo: Corcoran.

The pricey three bedroom, four bathroom apartment also features amenities like a chef’s kitchen, a library, beamed ceilings, and plenty of exposed brick. Also, it looks like it gets a fair amount of light, which is a rarity in a city known for its cramped, ill-lit abodes.


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