Untitled (Subway Drawing on Newspaper)
Drawing on printed ephemera/newspaper page • Attributed to Keith Haring (American, 1958–1990)
Style & Movement
Pop Art / Street Art / Neo-Expressionism
Medium & Technique
Black oil crayon or broad-tip permanent marker on newsprint; features quick, gestural line work characteristic of street art interventions.
Creation Period
Circa 1988 (based on the newspaper date of September 23, 1988)
Dimensions & Format
Approximately 15 x 11 inches; Portrait format newspaper sheet.
Subject Description
A gestural, simplified figure characteristic of Haring\'s iconography—featuring a torso with a radiating or circular heart/void center and stylized limbs—drawn over full-page car dealership advertisements in the New York Daily News.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Fair; newsprint shows significant yellowing, edge wear, small tears, and creasing consistent with age and fragile material.
Estimated Market Value
$15,000 - $25,000 (pending full authentication of the hand)
Auction Estimate
$10,000 - $20,000
Provenance History
Recovered ephemeral work; Daily News Friday, September 23, 1988 issue. Likely acquired during the artist\'s active period in New York City.
Art Historical Significance
Represents the artist\'s democratic approach to art-making, utilizing found paper and public advertising as a canvas. This practice, stemming from his subway drawings, collapsed the boundary between high art and everyday urban life.
Notable Features
Includes a visible signature \'K. Haring\' and date on the lower right quadrant; the juxtaposition of 1980s consumerist car culture and Haring\'s humanist line work provides a specific socio-economic context.
Condition Issues
Acidic newsprint oxidation, peripheral chipping, horizontal and vertical folds, moisture cockling, and minor ink bleed-through from the reverse.
Conservation Recommendations
Requires deacidification treatment and mounting on a reversible archival support. Must be framed under UV-filtering glass and kept in a climate-controlled environment to prevent further embrittlement.