One of the most admired artists to emerge from the 1980s art boom
From the streets of New York to the walls of its most prominent galleries, young graffiti artist Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988) was catapulted to international fame in his early 20s and died of a drug-overdose at 27. The subject of a feature film by fellow artist Julian Schnabel, Basquiat is one of the most admired artists to emerge from the 1980s art boom.Jean-Michel Basquiat became active as an artist while still a teenager and was world-famous by the age of twenty-three. He was considered an exceptional creative talent by any standard, and at a young age gained great fame and became a cultural hero to younger artists. Who was Basquiat? Tragically, his career spanned only eight years. He died of a drug overdose at age twenty-seven. The answers are in his life and work. Explore this biographical timeline for some clues. Examine his work in Explore the Paintings. What insights can you gain into who he was?
1960
Jean-Michel Basquiat is born in BROOKLYN, New York. His father is an accountant from Haiti. His mother is of Puerto-Rican descent.
1965
Jean-Michel begins DRAWING cartoons, the start of a life of compulsive picture-making. He often visits the Brooklyn Museum and other art museums.
1968
A car ACCIDENT puts Jean-Michel in the hospital with a broken arm and internal injuries. His mother gives him a copy of Gray's Anatomy to help pass the time. The book's medical diagrams make a lasting impression on his art.
1977
With his friend Al Diaz, Jean-Michel invents the SAMO graffiti character which stands for Same Old Shit. SAMO© as an end to mindwash religion, nowhere politics, and bogus philosophy. SAMO© saves idiots PLUSH SAFE he think SAMO©
1979
After leaving home, Jean-Michel explores MUSIC & ART He begins selling hand-painted postcards and T-shirts, and forms the band Gray with friends.
1980-1981
Combining elements from the African Diaspora with his own symbology, Jean-Michel develops his UNIQUE artistic STYLE. He has his first show, a group exhibition with other young artists, and is soon discovered by New York art critics.
1982-1983
Now FAMOUS in the art world, Jean-Michel has exhibitions in New York, California, Europe, and Japan. He continues his avid and spontaneous picture-making, painting on canvas, paper, and found objects like refrigerators, books, and other things.
1983-1984
Jean-Michel becomes friends with AndyWarhol. They collaborate on several projects but none are well-received by art critics.
1985- 1987
Jean-Michel TRAVELS to Africa several times and has an exhibition in Cote D'Ivoire. He also shows his work in Germany, often becoming the youngest artist to exhibit at major galleries.
1987-1988
Jean-Michel is distraught by Andy Warhol's death. He spends more time at his ranch in Maui while continuing to paint and exhibit in New York. Returning from Maui in July 1988, dies a month later. He is BURIED in Brooklyn. JUMP
MAJOR THEMES ( -themes found in Basquiat's art. The same work of art can fit into many of these different themes. There is no single, fixed interpretation of any of his paintings or drawings)
HERRITAGE
The Nile
1983. Acrylic and oil paintstick on canvas mounted on wood supports. Collection Enrico Navarra
Mujer:
The Spanish word "mujer" means "woman" in English. The woman seen here has a male counterpart across the painting on the brownish background.
The Spanish word "mujer" means "woman" in English. The woman seen here has a male counterpart across the painting on the brownish background.
Slave:
This male counterpart to the "mujer" is identified with the crossed-out word "slave" and its Spanish equivalent, "esclavo." Find the word "slave" crossed out with an arrow pointing to this man.
This male counterpart to the "mujer" is identified with the crossed-out word "slave" and its Spanish equivalent, "esclavo." Find the word "slave" crossed out with an arrow pointing to this man.
Nile:
This epic painting is called The Nile, the name of a flowing river, a source of life, and the center of the ancient Egyptian world. Many African Americans regard this ancient civilization in Africa as a touchstone of their cultural heritage.
This epic painting is called The Nile, the name of a flowing river, a source of life, and the center of the ancient Egyptian world. Many African Americans regard this ancient civilization in Africa as a touchstone of their cultural heritage.
Amen:
"Amen" is another spelling for Amun, an Egyptian god. "Amen" may also refer to the English-language word used as an expression of faith.
"Amen" is another spelling for Amun, an Egyptian god. "Amen" may also refer to the English-language word used as an expression of faith.
Hieroglyphs:
The eye and the waves are examples of ancient Egyptian picture writings, called hieroglyphs, which sometimes appeared on walls. The practice of writing words on the walls of public spaces is an ancient tradition. Basquiat traces this form of communication to early Egyptian buildings.
The eye and the waves are examples of ancient Egyptian picture writings, called hieroglyphs, which sometimes appeared on walls. The practice of writing words on the walls of public spaces is an ancient tradition. Basquiat traces this form of communication to early Egyptian buildings.
Nuba:
The Nuba people reside in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. (Sudan is the country located just below Egypt.) They have a very strong culture that values body painting for spiritual purposes and athleticism.
The Nuba people reside in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. (Sudan is the country located just below Egypt.) They have a very strong culture that values body painting for spiritual purposes and athleticism.
Thebes:
Memphis and Thebes were important cities in ancient Egypt. Basquiat links them to the present day by reminding us in the painting that there is also a Memphis in Tennessee.
Memphis and Thebes were important cities in ancient Egypt. Basquiat links them to the present day by reminding us in the painting that there is also a Memphis in Tennessee.
Sickle:
The word "sickle" and the sickle shape refer to the sickle cell trait, an inherited blood disorder affecting one out of every twelve blacks around the world. Sickle could also refer to the form of the Egyptian boat found in this painting.
The word "sickle" and the sickle shape refer to the sickle cell trait, an inherited blood disorder affecting one out of every twelve blacks around the world. Sickle could also refer to the form of the Egyptian boat found in this painting.
VISUAL POETRY
Jimmy Best...
1981. Spray paint and oil paintstick on metal panel. Collection Tsong-Zung Chang
Although Jimmy Best... is painted on a piece of metal, it is similar to some of the graffiti that Basquiat wrote on city walls. Throughout his career, Basquiat often painted on everyday objects that were near at hand, such as old doors and windows, pieces of picket fences, and even football helmets.
1981. Spray paint and oil paintstick on metal panel. Collection Tsong-Zung Chang
Although Jimmy Best... is painted on a piece of metal, it is similar to some of the graffiti that Basquiat wrote on city walls. Throughout his career, Basquiat often painted on everyday objects that were near at hand, such as old doors and windows, pieces of picket fences, and even football helmets.
Plush:
The contrast of the words "plush safe he think" with the image of a car crash evokes a world of uncertainties and, perhaps, injustice.
The contrast of the words "plush safe he think" with the image of a car crash evokes a world of uncertainties and, perhaps, injustice.
Basquiat's graffiti tag was SAMO (which stood for "same old, same old" or "same old shit"). When he started showing his work in galleries, he went with his birth name, Jean-Michel Basquiat (his family name is pronounced bas-kyah).
Basquiat appeared in the film Downtown 81 (New York Beat), 1980-81, directed by Edo Bertoglio.
Boom for Real:
At the age of seven, Basquiat was hit by a car while playing ball in the street and was hospitalized for weeks. Early in his career as an artist, he painted many car crashes. Reflecting his interest in street life, they suggest both the danger and the allure of the streets.
At the age of seven, Basquiat was hit by a car while playing ball in the street and was hospitalized for weeks. Early in his career as an artist, he painted many car crashes. Reflecting his interest in street life, they suggest both the danger and the allure of the streets.
The Letter E:
Basquiat did not consider his graffiti to be art, yet he also said that he used words like brushstrokes. One friend called the writing in Basquiat's work "some visual type of poetry."
Basquiat's style of writing was different from other graffiti writers of the time. He used a straightforward kind of printed line, easily read by a passerby, yet elegant in its unique way of marking the vertical and horizontal lines. For example, in drawing the capital letter E, he liked to leave out the vertical stroke and use only the three horizontal lines, making something striking and unusual out of an ordinary letter.
Basquiat did not consider his graffiti to be art, yet he also said that he used words like brushstrokes. One friend called the writing in Basquiat's work "some visual type of poetry."
Basquiat's style of writing was different from other graffiti writers of the time. He used a straightforward kind of printed line, easily read by a passerby, yet elegant in its unique way of marking the vertical and horizontal lines. For example, in drawing the capital letter E, he liked to leave out the vertical stroke and use only the three horizontal lines, making something striking and unusual out of an ordinary letter.
Basquiat's art has inspired poets such as Kevin Young. Here is Young's poem "Cadillac Moon {1981}." Add your own poem in the What Do You Think? section, and read poems by other visitors to this site.
Listen to Young read his poem.
Cadillac Moon {1981}
Crashing
again—Basquiat
sends fenders
& letters headlong
into each other
the future. Fusion
AAAAAAAAAAA.
Big Bang. The Big
Apple, Atom's
behind him—
no sirens
In sight. His career
of careening
since—at six—
playing stickball
a car stole
his spleen. Blind
sided. Move
along folks—nothing
to see here. Driven,
does two Caddys
colliding, biting
the dust he's begun
to snort. Hit
& run Red
Cross—the pill-pale
ambulance, inside
out, he hitched
to the hospital.
Joy ride. Hot
wired. O the rush
before the wreck—
each Cadillac
a Titanic,
an iceberg that's met
its match—cabin
flooded
like an engine,
drawing even
dark Shine
from below deck.
FLATS FIX. Chop
shop. Body work
while-u-wait. In situ
the spleen
Or lien, anterior view—
removed. Given
Gray's Anatomy
by his mother for recovery—
151. Reflexion of spleen
turned forwards
& to the right, like
pages of a book—
Basquiat pulled
into orbit
with tide, the moon
gold as a tooth
a hubcap gleaming,
gleaned—Shine
swimming for land,
somewhere solid
to spin his own obit.
—Kevin Young
again—Basquiat
sends fenders
& letters headlong
into each other
the future. Fusion
AAAAAAAAAAA.
Big Bang. The Big
Apple, Atom's
behind him—
no sirens
In sight. His career
of careening
since—at six—
playing stickball
a car stole
his spleen. Blind
sided. Move
along folks—nothing
to see here. Driven,
does two Caddys
colliding, biting
the dust he's begun
to snort. Hit
& run Red
Cross—the pill-pale
ambulance, inside
out, he hitched
to the hospital.
Joy ride. Hot
wired. O the rush
before the wreck—
each Cadillac
a Titanic,
an iceberg that's met
its match—cabin
flooded
like an engine,
drawing even
dark Shine
from below deck.
FLATS FIX. Chop
shop. Body work
while-u-wait. In situ
the spleen
Or lien, anterior view—
removed. Given
Gray's Anatomy
by his mother for recovery—
151. Reflexion of spleen
turned forwards
& to the right, like
pages of a book—
Basquiat pulled
into orbit
with tide, the moon
gold as a tooth
a hubcap gleaming,
gleaned—Shine
swimming for land,
somewhere solid
to spin his own obit.
—Kevin Young
Jimmy:
One art critic discussed the words in the painting this way:
"As anyone who has spent time in the Riverhead Penitentiary can tell you, the handsomest, strongest, most ambitious, intelligent, and tallest black and Latino men have been systematically deactivated and discredited by hefty prison terms. The idea is to get you while you're young. Jimmy (the best) will never be allowed to forget his incarceration (suckerpunch) as a juvenile offender (childhood files), his life destroyed by the self-referential prison system. This is the black man's first taste of white justice."
—Rene Ricard
ARTISTIC PROCESS
One art critic discussed the words in the painting this way:
"As anyone who has spent time in the Riverhead Penitentiary can tell you, the handsomest, strongest, most ambitious, intelligent, and tallest black and Latino men have been systematically deactivated and discredited by hefty prison terms. The idea is to get you while you're young. Jimmy (the best) will never be allowed to forget his incarceration (suckerpunch) as a juvenile offender (childhood files), his life destroyed by the self-referential prison system. This is the black man's first taste of white justice."
—Rene Ricard
ARTISTIC PROCESS
Notary
1983. Acrylic, oil paintstick and paper collage on canvas mounted on wood supports. Schorr Family Collection; on long-term loan to the Princeton University Art Museum
1983. Acrylic, oil paintstick and paper collage on canvas mounted on wood supports. Schorr Family Collection; on long-term loan to the Princeton University Art Museum
Rhythm:
Basquiat loved jazz and hip-hop. In this painting, he repeats, combines, and overlaps different lines, colors, images, and words, creating a fast tempo, an urban rhythm, that conveys a sense of improvisation. He may have been inspired by one of his musical heroes, the jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker.
Syncopation is an unexpected accent in music that interrupts a rhythm. Hip-hop and jazz musicians both use syncopation in their work. Listen to the syncopation in this clip from Charlie Parker's Bongo Bop. How has Basquiat used a visual kind of syncopation here?
Basquiat loved jazz and hip-hop. In this painting, he repeats, combines, and overlaps different lines, colors, images, and words, creating a fast tempo, an urban rhythm, that conveys a sense of improvisation. He may have been inspired by one of his musical heroes, the jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker.
Syncopation is an unexpected accent in music that interrupts a rhythm. Hip-hop and jazz musicians both use syncopation in their work. Listen to the syncopation in this clip from Charlie Parker's Bongo Bop. How has Basquiat used a visual kind of syncopation here?
Listen to Charlie Parker's Bongo Bop (1947). Courtesy Savoy Records.
Anatomy:
Basquiat drew inspiration from many different sources, including his large collection of books. His way of showing a man both inside and out may have been inspired by several books he owned, including Gray's Anatomy, a book about Leonardo da Vinci, and a famous art-history textbook.
Basquiat drew inspiration from many different sources, including his large collection of books. His way of showing a man both inside and out may have been inspired by several books he owned, including Gray's Anatomy, a book about Leonardo da Vinci, and a famous art-history textbook.
Wood Supports:
Look at how Basquiat lets us see the pieces of wood that hold the canvas. The ends of the wood supports stick out at the top and bottom of the painting. Usually painters hide these supports by wrapping the canvas around them.
Look at how Basquiat lets us see the pieces of wood that hold the canvas. The ends of the wood supports stick out at the top and bottom of the painting. Usually painters hide these supports by wrapping the canvas around them.
Materials:
Basquiat's paintings are made from a combination of materials. In Notary, he used acrylic, a water-based paint that sometimes drips down the canvas. He also glued silk-screened prints onto the canvas. And he used an oil paintstick (which is like a giant crayon made out of oil paint) to write directly on the canvas and over the prints.
The band Gray: Vincent Gallo, Justin Thyme, Nick Taylor, Michael Holman, and (on floor) Basquiat, 1980.
Basquiat's paintings are made from a combination of materials. In Notary, he used acrylic, a water-based paint that sometimes drips down the canvas. He also glued silk-screened prints onto the canvas. And he used an oil paintstick (which is like a giant crayon made out of oil paint) to write directly on the canvas and over the prints.
HEROES
CPRKR
1982. Acrylic, oil paintstick and paper collage on canvas mounted on tied wood supports. Collection of Donald Baechler, New York
1982. Acrylic, oil paintstick and paper collage on canvas mounted on tied wood supports. Collection of Donald Baechler, New York
CPRKR:
Basquiat used the letters CPRKR to represent the jazz musician Charlie Parker. A musician himself, Basquiat made several paintings in homage to Parker.
Basquiat used the letters CPRKR to represent the jazz musician Charlie Parker. A musician himself, Basquiat made several paintings in homage to Parker.
Listen to Charlie Parker's Ornithology (1946). Courtesy Savoy Jazz Records/SLG.
Charlie "Bird" Parker (1920-1955) was one of the greatest jazz saxophonists. He helped create bebop, which redefined jazz at a time when radio stations were playing mostly swing music. Although Parker's career was brief, his innovative sound and amazing technique influenced many musicians. Like Basquiat, Parker borrowed, modernized, and improvised—in his case by taking old tunes and creating vibrant new melodies.
Crown:
The crown is Basquiat's trademark image, appearing in many of his paintings. He often includes it as a sign of respect for his heroes, marking them as members of a royal family. He also proclaims Parker a kind of monarch by giving him the royal title Charles the First.
The crown is Basquiat's trademark image, appearing in many of his paintings. He often includes it as a sign of respect for his heroes, marking them as members of a royal family. He also proclaims Parker a kind of monarch by giving him the royal title Charles the First.
Stanhope:
Parker died at the Stanhope Hotel, in New York, on March 2, 1955. The day included in the painting—April 2, one month later—was the date of a memorial concert for Parker held at Carnegie Hall. Perhaps Basquiat meant this whole painting to look like a memorial or tombstone.
Parker died at the Stanhope Hotel, in New York, on March 2, 1955. The day included in the painting—April 2, one month later—was the date of a memorial concert for Parker held at Carnegie Hall. Perhaps Basquiat meant this whole painting to look like a memorial or tombstone.
In the late 1970s, a true hip-hop culture was emerging from the music, dancing, and graffiti of young artists. Basquiat was both a musician and a visual artist and part of the New York music scene that gave rise to hip-hop.
Basquiat and the "noise music" band Gray, which explored jazz, punk, and synth-pop
Read and hear the poem "Charlie Chan on Horn" by Kevin Young
Charlie Chan on Horn
For Prestige
Bird records
a few sides
(for contract
reasons) as Mr. Charlie
Chan—no matter
the name of his blues
sound the same,
same alto blaring
ALCHEMY.
licks exotic
as Charlie Chan
in Black Magic—
Chan's dark sidekick
Bormingham Brown
(a.k.a. Man-
tan Moreland)
seeing ghosts,
fleeing. Feets
do yo stuff—
THRIVING ON A RIFF,
Bird on a run
(in one place)
eyes bugged out
blowing
like Gabriel.
Solos snorted—
in one nose
& out the other.
Gone. Number one
son—don't they know
Charlie Chan
is a white man?
Fu Manchu too.
(Bless you.)
Parker play
your horn, not
no coon
no coolie in a white
suit. Bird's shot
his way to the top—
made a fist, tied off
& caught
the first vein
out of town.
Laying tracks—
NOW'S THE TIME
NOW'S THE TIME
BIRD GETS THE WORM—
Now dig
this—Basquiat
lit, lidded, does
a gravestone—
CPRKR
in the Stan-
hope Hotel,
the one Bird bit
the dust in (ON AIR)
high. TEETH.
HALOES.
FIFTY NINE CENT.
Who knew how well
Basquiat would follow—
feet (six deep) first.
—Kevin Young
Bird records
a few sides
(for contract
reasons) as Mr. Charlie
Chan—no matter
the name of his blues
sound the same,
same alto blaring
ALCHEMY.
licks exotic
as Charlie Chan
in Black Magic—
Chan's dark sidekick
Bormingham Brown
(a.k.a. Man-
tan Moreland)
seeing ghosts,
fleeing. Feets
do yo stuff—
THRIVING ON A RIFF,
Bird on a run
(in one place)
eyes bugged out
blowing
like Gabriel.
Solos snorted—
in one nose
& out the other.
Gone. Number one
son—don't they know
Charlie Chan
is a white man?
Fu Manchu too.
(Bless you.)
Parker play
your horn, not
no coon
no coolie in a white
suit. Bird's shot
his way to the top—
made a fist, tied off
& caught
the first vein
out of town.
Laying tracks—
NOW'S THE TIME
NOW'S THE TIME
BIRD GETS THE WORM—
Now dig
this—Basquiat
lit, lidded, does
a gravestone—
CPRKR
in the Stan-
hope Hotel,
the one Bird bit
the dust in (ON AIR)
high. TEETH.
HALOES.
FIFTY NINE CENT.
Who knew how well
Basquiat would follow—
feet (six deep) first.
—Kevin Young
JUSTICE and EQUALITY
Per Capita
1981. Acrylic and oil paintstick on canvas. The Stephanie and Peter Brant Foundation, Greenwich, Connecticut
1981. Acrylic and oil paintstick on canvas. The Stephanie and Peter Brant Foundation, Greenwich, Connecticut
Boxer:
Some writers think that the boxer in this painting symbolizes a battle for principles, embodying strength and the ability to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds.
Others see the boxer's pose, with a torch in his hand, as a reference to the Statue of Liberty. Is this an updated image of the promise of liberty? Is it about fighting for that promise?
Some writers think that the boxer in this painting symbolizes a battle for principles, embodying strength and the ability to persevere in the face of overwhelming odds.
Others see the boxer's pose, with a torch in his hand, as a reference to the Statue of Liberty. Is this an updated image of the promise of liberty? Is it about fighting for that promise?
Per Capita:
The phrase "per capita" means "to each person." When combined with the numbers shown here, it could refer to how much income a person earns in a year.
Basquiat lists the average per capita income in different states in a way that emphasizes the inequality between the rich and the poor. Themes of social justice, involving issues of racism, materialism, and exploitation, recur in Basquiat's art. He often created critical oppositions within his paintings by sharply contrasting poverty with wealth or integration with segregation.
The phrase "per capita" means "to each person." When combined with the numbers shown here, it could refer to how much income a person earns in a year.
Basquiat lists the average per capita income in different states in a way that emphasizes the inequality between the rich and the poor. Themes of social justice, involving issues of racism, materialism, and exploitation, recur in Basquiat's art. He often created critical oppositions within his paintings by sharply contrasting poverty with wealth or integration with segregation.
E Pluribus Unum:
The Latin phrase "E pluribus unum" means "out of many, one."
The Latin phrase "E pluribus unum" means "out of many, one."
This phrase is written on the Great Seal of the United States and on U.S. money. It refers to the original thirteen states coming together to form one nation. Today, we interpret the phrase as also referring to the way that people of different cultures come together as equals in a free society. Art critics do not agree about whether Basquiat intended this phrase in his paintings to be hopeful or sarcastic.
Illustration from Gray's Anatomy
CULTURAL IDENTITY
Gold Griot
1984. Acrylic and oil paintstick on wood. The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat
1984. Acrylic and oil paintstick on wood. The Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat
Griots:
Griots (pronounced gree-ohs) are West African storytellers who maintain an oral tradition of poetry, reciting a history—of family, community, and culture—to the people of a village. Griots originated in the Mali Empire, which at its height, in the fourteenth century, controlled the gold trade across the Saharan region.
Griots (pronounced gree-ohs) are West African storytellers who maintain an oral tradition of poetry, reciting a history—of family, community, and culture—to the people of a village. Griots originated in the Mali Empire, which at its height, in the fourteenth century, controlled the gold trade across the Saharan region.
Music:
Hip-hop music is related to the griots of West Africa. For example, the percussion breaks that DJ Kool Herc brought to New York in the 1970s came from the traditional style of griot poetry and singing.
Hip-hop recalls these African traditions. Basquiat, who loved jazz and Latin rhythm, produced a rap record for his friend Rammellzee and he was a good friend of the hip-hop producer Fred Brathwaite (Fab 5 Freddy). He formed his own "noise music" band, known as Gray, and would sometimes DJ at the downtown New York disco called Area.
Hip-hop music is related to the griots of West Africa. For example, the percussion breaks that DJ Kool Herc brought to New York in the 1970s came from the traditional style of griot poetry and singing.
Hip-hop recalls these African traditions. Basquiat, who loved jazz and Latin rhythm, produced a rap record for his friend Rammellzee and he was a good friend of the hip-hop producer Fred Brathwaite (Fab 5 Freddy). He formed his own "noise music" band, known as Gray, and would sometimes DJ at the downtown New York disco called Area.
X-Ray Vision:
Basquiat's paintings seem to have a unique X-ray vision that captures both the internal and external human being, as if to say that there is more here than meets the eye. Basquiat learned how to draw human anatomy from the book Gray's Anatomy, which he received as a child.
Basquiat's paintings seem to have a unique X-ray vision that captures both the internal and external human being, as if to say that there is more here than meets the eye. Basquiat learned how to draw human anatomy from the book Gray's Anatomy, which he received as a child.
The transparency of this griot figure shows how Basquiat paints and writes from multiple viewpoints or perspectives. He allows us to look inside of things, or read something in another language, and connect different cultures and histories. One historian suggests this feature of the work is strongly related to Basquiat's upbringing and his own diverse heritage.
Subject Matter:
Basquiat once said, "I'm interested in painting the black person. He's the protagonist in most of my paintings."
Basquiat's focus on black people extended to include his interest in Afro-Caribbean culture and his concern with the representation of Africans and African Americans in popular entertainment and in American history.
Subject Matter:
Basquiat once said, "I'm interested in painting the black person. He's the protagonist in most of my paintings."
Basquiat's focus on black people extended to include his interest in Afro-Caribbean culture and his concern with the representation of Africans and African Americans in popular entertainment and in American history.
Basquiat learned Spanish from his mother, Matilde, who was born in Brooklyn to Puerto Rican parents. Spanish words appear throughout his art.
The Spanish words "el gran espectáculo" mean "the grand spectacle."