Keith Haring (1958-1990), Big Bad Wolf, 1984, Courtesy Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York, copyright Estate of Keith Haring 1993, Printed in France
Lithography, Giclée print on Paper
23x23in
United States
Haring's imagery is among the most copied in post-war art, so authentication matters as much for a unique work as for an edition. There is no complete published catalogue raisonné, and the Keith Haring Foundation closed its authentication committee in 2012, so the market runs on documentation and expertise rather than a stamp of approval. For his paintings and unique works, including the tarpaulins and works on paper, provenance and exhibition history are the foundation of any confident purchase. His prints, mostly screenprints made between 1982 and 1990, are referenced through the Littmann catalogue ("Littmann PP.") and signed in pencil, usually lower right, as "14/200 Haring 87"; buyers watch for wrong edition sizes, altered margins and misplaced signatures. Some series retain original paperwork: the 1990 Icons portfolio came with a certificate signed by estate executor Julia Gruen, and where it exists it should travel with the work. At Singulart, we work with established galleries that carry out the authentication process, so every Pop Haring work, unique or editioned, is checked against the Littmann catalogue and its provenance and comes with a certificate of authenticity.