Jean-Michel Basquiat’s painting titled Riding with Death (1988) contains a variety of socio-historical references, from racial and class themes to power and death. The artist could have conveyed several meanings here related to his own experiences and understandings within the societal system. He was also believed to be influenced by Leonardo da Vinci’s drawing, Illustration for His Thoughts on Virtue and Envy (c. 1484 – 1486).