{"product_id":"the-basquiat-hustle","title":"The Basquiat Hustle","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA gripping true-crime caper about Jean-Michel Basquiat, 25 paintings potentially worth $100 million, alleged forgery, a raided museum, and the shadowy fringes of the art world\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen 25 paintings by Jean-Michel Basquiat were found in a foreclosed storage unit once rented by an Emmy-winning Hollywood screenwriter, they appeared to be a major find. Since his death in 1988, Basquiat’s work has exploded in popularity—and price. In 2017, his \u003ci\u003eUntitled, 1982\u003c\/i\u003e was sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby’s, setting an auction record for an American painter. His work is on T-shirts at Uniqlo, Jay-Z’s walls, and in late 2025, a biopic directed by Julius Onah (\u003ci\u003eThe Cloverfield Paradox, Captain America: Brave New World\u003c\/i\u003e) began filming in New York.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 25 found paintings were valued at over $100 million, and in February 2021, they were unveiled to the public at a major museum exhibition in Florida. Four months later, the FBI’s Art Crime Unit raided the museum and seized all 25 pieces from the walls.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJournalist and \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e contributor Brett Sokol’s \u003ci\u003eThe Basquiat Hustle \u003c\/i\u003eis a gripping account of the whole affair, and of the art world that fueled it. Sokol first broke news that the paintings were allegedly fraudulent paintings in a series for the \u003ci\u003eTimes\u003c\/i\u003e. If they were fake, who knew? How could they have ended up in a major museum exhibition? Tracking a decade-long inquiry into the paintings and their provenance, Sokol uncovers memorable characters and astonishing clues, from a twice-convicted cocaine dealer to the incriminating typeface on a FedEx label. This is a mesmerizing mixture of art history, journalism, and crime reporting, shot through with celebrity, glamour, and ambition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"By Brett Sokol","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45346449293494,"sku":"9781419794292","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0526\/0610\/7830\/files\/9781419794292.jpg?v=1786350542","url":"https:\/\/store.abramsbooks.com\/products\/the-basquiat-hustle","provider":"Abrams Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}