Everyone’s favorite “Material Girl” received a sweet gift from her manager ahead of her 66th birthday next week, which included a throwback to her romance with artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Madonna posted on Instagram to rave about the thoughtful gift, a framed photo of the singer next to Jean-Michel, graffiti artist Futura 2000 and his friend Easy Gee.
“I can’t think of a better way to start my birthday month!” she wrote in the caption. “Thank you – @guyoseary for this beautiful souvenir of me with Basquiat Futura 2000 and Easy Gee at Fun Gallery in 1983.”
“There will never be anything like this again. NYC was the epicenter of everything exciting!!”
The “Like A Prayer” singer looked effortlessly cool in the photo, showcasing her signature 80s style with a touch of grunge.
“Everything happened at the Fun Gallery!” she continued in the caption. “Keith Haring’s paintings adorned the walls. And young artists and musicians were always welcome.”
InstagramKeith Haring was an artist and friend of Madonna and Jean-Michel; he was a representative of the New York graffiti subculture of the 80s.
She continued, “This was a time when art, music and culture stood side by side and hand in hand. When artists supported each other. I am so grateful to have experienced this moment.”
The iconic photo was taken just months before the huge success of her eponymous debut album, which includes tracks like “Holiday” and “Lucky Star.”
© Rose HartmanIn the photo, Jean-Michel had his arm around his ex-girlfriend, was wearing a leather jacket and a baseball jersey and was grinning broadly.
Madonna and Jean-Michel dated for a short time between 1982 and 1983 and even lived together before reportedly splitting up due to his drug addiction.
Although the mother of six children largely kept the details of her romance secret, she opened up to interview in 2014 about his art.
© Michael Putland“I remember getting up in the middle of the night and not finding him lying in bed next to me, but standing very close to the canvas at four in the morning, as if in a trance, painting. It blew me away that he worked when he felt moved.”
Sadly, he died of a heroin overdose in 1988. Today he is considered one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, although he only lived to see his 27th birthday.
Madonna unveils the extent of his addiction to Howard Stern in 2015 and explained: “He didn’t want to stop using heroin. He was an incredible and very talented man. I loved him.”
She continued: “When I broke up with him, he forced me to give him the paintings back. And then he painted over them black.”
Madonna’s love life has been the subject of intense criticism throughout her career. She has dated everyone from Warren Beatty to Vanilla Ice and was married to actor Sean Penn from 1985 to 1989, followed by Guy Ritchie from 2000 to 2008.
