Chocolate Buddha 1
Chocolate Buddha 1
Signed Print
Keith Haring
£10,000-£20,000 VALUE (EST.)
$18,000-$35,000 VALUE (EST.)
$17,000-$35,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥80,000-¥170,000 VALUE (EST.)
€11,500-€23,000 VALUE (EST.)
$100,000-$190,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥1,620,000-¥3,230,000 VALUE (EST.)
$12,500-$25,000 VALUE (EST.)
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
Lithograph, 1989
Signed Print Edition of 90
H 49cm x W 64cm
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2022 | Bonhams Los Angeles - United States | Chocolate Buddha 1 - Signed Print | |||
| April 2019 | Wright - United States | Chocolate Buddha 1 - Signed Print | |||
| November 2015 | Sotheby's New York - United States | Chocolate Buddha 1 - Signed Print | |||
| May 2014 | Freeman's - United States | Chocolate Buddha 1 - Signed Print | |||
| May 2011 | Skinner, Boston - United States | Chocolate Buddha 1 - Signed Print | |||
| June 1995 | Christie's Amsterdam - Netherlands | Chocolate Buddha 1 - Signed Print |
Meaning & Analysis
Rendered in the Keith Haring's graphic, linear style, Chocolate Buddha 1 is a signed lithograph with a limited edition of 90 from the Chocolate Buddha series (1989). The print shows an image of an abstracted face in a symmetrical composition, with the figure’s arms raised above its head. Haring creates an all-over composition of pattern through the use of flattened picture plane and two contrasting colours, red and blue.
Chocolate Buddha 1 has a kinetic energy that is produced through Haring’s use of jarring colours and complex, intertwining patterns. There is an electric flow of line that is satisfying for the viewer to follow, emphasised by the print’s symmetrical composition. Haring’s print is reminiscent of Aztec or Aboriginal art through his use of flowing, organic shapes and thick bold lines to create a pattern that plays out across the image surface.
Explaining why many of his works resemble Aztec or Aboriginal art, Haring has said ‘My drawings don’t try to imitate life; they try to create life, to invent life,’ something that he believed aligned with so-called primitive ideas. Chocolate Buddha 1 is exemplary of this notion by forming a rhythmic, all-over composition that focuses on symmetry rather than realism. Thus, Haring produces a kinetic image that excites the viewer and transcends reality.
