Rating and value of works, lithographs, paintings by Keith Haring

American painter and visual artist Keith Haring is considered one of the pioneers of contemporary art.

If you own a work by or based on the artist Keith Haring and would like to know its value, our state-approved experts and auctioneers can advise you.

Our specialists will carry out a free appraisal of your work, and provide you with a precise estimate of its current market value.

Then, if you want to sell your work, we'll point you in the right direction to get the best possible price for it.

Artist's rating and value

Considered one of the leaders of contemporary art, Keith Haring exhibited extensively during his lifetime. As a result, he has already established an immense reputation and presence on the art market.

Today, his value continues to rise, and the artist has established himself as a sure bet on the art market. A work by Keith Haring can fetch millions of euros at auction.

An acrylic by the artist, for example, sold for €5,102,720 at Sotheby's in 2017.

Order of value from the most basic to the most prestigious

Keith Haring's style and technique

Keith Haring developed a unique and instantly recognizable style, characterized by precise lines, pure forms and vibrant colors.

His creations, frequently executed on urban supports such as New York subway walls, are part of the street art movement.

However, they quickly outgrew this environment to find their place in art galleries.

Influenced by Pop Art and graffiti, Haring favors thick outlines that frame his figures, composing dynamic scenes populated by stylized characters, animals and abstract symbols.

One of the distinctive features of his technique is the absence of traditional perspective or depth. His figures, treated in a flat manner, are animated by simple lines and graphic flashes, which surround the bodies to express energy or emotion.

His fluid lines are reminiscent of cartoons and pictograms, giving his work a visual immediacy that makes it particularly accessible.

The artist also draws his inspiration from primitive art, notably through geometric motifs similar to those found in the geoglyphs of the Nazca desert.

By integrating these references with elements of popular culture, Haring invents a universal visual language, addressing subjects such as life, death, love and sexuality in iconographic form.

Her technique allows her to explore a wide variety of media: murals, sculptures, clothing and much more.

Haring sought to democratize art by using accessible materials, such as acrylic paint, and by choosing public places for his works.

The vivid colors he applies in broad strokes express a resolutely contemporary optimism, echoing a joyful, energetic vision of the world around him.

Keith Haring, his life, his work

Keith Allen Haring developed an instantly recognizable style, marked by clean lines, pure forms and vibrant colors.

Born in the creative tumult of New York in the 1980s, he first made a name for himself in subway stations, where he transformed vacant advertising hoardings into live chalk drawings.

Inspired by Pop Art and nourished by the raw energy of graffiti, Haring's approach is to use urban space as a place for free, direct expression. His figures, with their thick black outlines, dance within dynamic compositions populated by stylized characters, animals and symbolic motifs.

Like Robert Rauschenberg, he seeks to break down the barriers between the artistic elite and the street, advocating art that is accessible to all, in dialogue with everyday life and popular culture.

One of the most singular aspects of his art lies in his deliberate rejection of the conventions of traditional perspective.

Haring favors flat, shallow figures whose movements are suggested by fluid lines and graphic flashes.

These elements, which surround his figures, evoke the vibrant energy or intense emotions that animate them. This approach finds echoes in the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a close friend with whom Haring shares a fascination for primitive art and universal symbols.

An admirer of the geoglyphs of the Nazca desert, Haring integrates geometric motifs and repetitive figures into his work, constructing a visual language that transcends cultural and social boundaries.

His work also reflects the influence of his contemporaries. Rauschenberg, with his ability to mix media and supports, encourages him to broaden his field of action.

Haring explores a wide range of fields, from monumental murals to colorful sculptures, textiles and collaborations with consumer brands.

This versatility reflects a desire to integrate art into all aspects of daily life, an ideal shared with other artists of his generation.

Haring works with simple materials, such as acrylic paint, which he applies in luminous flat tints, giving his creations an immediacy and freshness that appeal to a wide audience.

Beneath the apparent simplicity of his compositions lies an unexpected depth. Haring tackles complex and often audacious subjects, such as sexuality, illness, death and the fight against social inequality.

Through his work, he defends a vision of the world in which art becomes a means of awareness and resistance.

His frescoes, often created in public spaces, embody this commitment, while retaining a playful, optimistic aesthetic.

His work, deeply rooted in its time, remains disturbingly topical and continues to resonate, like the timeless works of his friends and peers such as Basquiat, Rauschenberg, Warhol or even Lichtenstein.

Focus on Crack is Wack, Keith Haring, 1982

Crack is Wack, created in 1986, is a must-see mural by Keith Haring, located on a playground on Harlem River Drive in New York. Unofficially commissioned by the artist himself, it denounces the epidemic of crack addiction that ravaged underprivileged communities in the 1980s.

The composition features stylized figures with deformed bodies and frenetic gestures. Surrounded by lines suggesting movement, these figures convey the urgency and violence of the crisis.

Inscriptions such as "Crack is Wack" reinforce the impact of the work, adding an explicit dimension to the message.

This blend of graphic simplicity and political intent recalls the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, a close friend of Haring's, with whom he shared a common sensitivity to social issues and a raw but powerful aesthetic.

The absence of depth or classical perspective in this fresco places the focus on form and content. Haring uses a universal visual language of symbols and colors to reach as wide an audience as possible.

His choice to paint on a public wall, without authorization, reaffirms his commitment to democratic, accessible art, following in the footsteps of Robert Rauschenberg, whose works also carried strong messages while appealing to a wide range of viewers.

Originally painted as a warning to a young player in his entourage, "Crack is Wack" quickly became a symbol of the fight against a crisis that went beyond the neighborhoods affected.

Far from being a denunciation, the work also embodies hope and resilience, recurring themes in Haring's work.

Now restored and protected, it remains one of the most striking expressions of his activism, confirming his determination to make art a tool for social transformation and universal dialogue.

Understanding the authentication process for Keith Haring's works

The authentication process for Keith Haring's works, particularly crucial in view of his worldwide success, is based on a number of precise criteria, including provenance, signatures and inscriptions characteristic of the artist.

Haring frequently signed his works with his full name, accompanied by the date and sometimes an additional drawing or motif, such as his iconic "Radiant Baby" or other pictograms.

Works produced for specific events can also include contextual references.

When working on walls or other unconventional supports, Haring would sometimes affix direct inscriptions to the works to emphasize their intent or provenance, making each piece unique.

The importance of a dedicated authentication committee was recognized after the artist's untimely death in 1990, in order to deal with the influx of forgeries and misunderstandings about his works.

Headed by Julia Gruen, Haring's personal assistant, this committee played a central role in establishing the authenticity of the pieces.

He relied on experts, exhaustive documentation and in-depth knowledge of the artist's visual universe and practices.

As a result, many works circulating on the art market still bear Julia Gruen's certificate (on the back of the work, see photo below). The committee was also able to apply embossing (see other photo below).

However, in 2012, Julia Gruen took the decision to dissolve the Keith Haring Authentication Committee, citing the numerous legal disputes that were complicating the organization's operations.

This dissolution, though unusual, reflected the growing challenges facing authentication committees for contemporary artists, notably the increasing number of challenges to the decisions they render.

Despite this, Haring's legacy is preserved today by the Keith Haring Foundation, which continues to promote his work while supporting social and charitable causes close to his heart, notably the fight against AIDS.

The absence of an official authentication committee reinforces the importance of rigorous documentation and quality expertise in evaluating works attributed to Haring.

Although this situation has given rise to debate, it does not detract from the scope and impact of his work, which remains a benchmark in contemporary art and a model of universal artistic commitment. 

His signature

Although there are variations, here is a first example of its signature:

Our team will be happy to help you identify your artwork.

Appraising your property

If you own a Keith Haring painting, feel free to request a free appraisal by filling in our online form.

A member of our team of experts and certified auctioneers will contact you to provide an estimate of the market value of your work.

If you are considering selling your work, our specialists will also guide you through the various alternatives available to obtain the best possible price, taking into account market trends and the specific features of each work.