1982 is a crucial year in Basquiat’s artistic production. Many of his most important artworks were made in 1982. Why is this year so coveted? Experts say it can’t be boiled down to a single factor. A number of forces combined in 1982: His “shift from street to studio,” as Sotheby’s contemporary art specialist David Galperin put it; a new supply of large canvases, courtesy of his new dealer; a string of solo shows around the world; and a freedom from the market pressures that would come to weigh on him in the last few years of his short life.

“It’s simply his best work,” said Michael Baptist, a post-war and contemporary specialist at Christie’s, of the artist’s 1982 paintings. The Basquiat’s works from 1982 have become the most desirable to collectors and, subsequently, the most highly valued amongst his roughly decade-long output. His record price was built just this year.