Keith Haring

"Untitled" is a monochrome lithograph created by the artist in 1987. Featuring Haring’s distinctive bold lines and matchstick figures, it portrays a person riding a dolphin—an image reminiscent of those found in the artist’s Subway Drawings, which catapulted him to fame. In Haring’s brief yet prolific career, depictions of humans and animals frequently appear together. While his iconic barking dogs symbolise oppression and violence, this print shifts focus to the dolphin, an animal often linked with harmony, peace, and joy. In this work, the man and dolphin are depicted in harmonious coexistence: the man rides freely without grasping the dolphin, while the dolphin appears to whistle with an open mouth. Haring’s child-like, cartoonish style—featuring a faceless, genderless figure and a stylized dolphin—captures a simple, joyous appreciation of nature. The figures in the lower half of the print, who cheer on the man and dolphin, enhance the work’s allegorical message, suggesting that community and compassion for animals contribute to a better world. Untitled highlights Haring’s unique visual style that would see the artist become a mainstay of private collectors, auction houses, galleries and museums worldwide.