Keith Haring’s ‘Radiant Baby’ Art On His Childhood Wall Crawls Into Auction

Who would’ve predicted that a figure scribbled on the wall of a childhood bedroom would one day be offered up to art collectors at an auction?

Well, that’s exactly what’s happening, as Keith Haring’s illustration of a crawling infant—in gold marker, no less—will go under the hammer next month.

The drawing, measuring five inches in height, was doodled onto the wall of the artist’s room in his hometown of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, and will be offered as part of a contemporary art sale at Rago/Wright. 

According to ARTnews, the artwork up for auction will come still attached to a portion of the blue wall it was originally created on, certainly making it an interesting conversation piece for the eventual winning bidder. 

The Art Newspaper reports that even after Haring left for New York, he often traveled back to Kutztown to visit family, and while the exact date Radiant Baby was created remains unknown, it’s believed to have been drawn during a visit before his death in 1990. 

Christine Isabelle Oakland, an art historian assisting in the work’s sale, told the publication that the illustration narrowly escaped being painted over when the home was bought over by new owners, who “didn’t think it was very interesting.” 

Thankfully, the home owners reached out to the artist’s father, Allen Haring, who later authenticated the drawing and signed a letter of authenticity that will be sold together with the piece.

An estimate has yet to be revealed for the work, though the auction house has come up with a video shedding light on the provenance behind this one-of-a-kind artwork. Check it out below.

[via ARTnews and The Art Newspaper, cover image via Rago/Wright / Alternative Gallery]