Fabric Portrait Paintings

Nicely painted American modernist interior portrait oil painting. Framed. Oil on canvas. Signed. Image size, 28H by 22L.

Circle of Jean Honore Fragonard (French 1732–1806) An Exceptional Painting of Three Putti and Fire, circa 1795. Masterfully painted in the late ...

This exquisite Grand Manner work, presented by Titan Fine Art, is an evocative example of the type of portrait in vogue during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Beautifully ...

"Enchantress" is a captivating artwork created by Fatunmbi Anjolaoluwa Grace that showcases the beauty and power of femininity. The piece is a mix...

This piece titled "Christian (Brother)" is an original artwork by Alain Jean-Baptiste and measures 60"h x 48"w. This oil work on canvas reflects on the buildup and aftermath Jean-B...

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected crater from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist A...

America Martin "Flowers Red And White" Oil & Acrylic on Canvas 49.5 x 27.5 in. Framed Exploring the identity of both her namesake and country, LA-based America Martin draws inspira...

"Florentine Expressions: A Portrait Series XXIII", oil on canvas, mounted on board, Florentine School (circa 1980s-90s). This gallery has acquired a number of paintings through an in...

Title: Virgin Mary and Child Jesus Artist: Francisco Ribera Gómez (1907-1990) Technique: Oil on canvas Dimensions: 31.9 x 25.6 inches (unframed) Date of creation: 1942 Style: Classical Academicism with Renaissance influences Description of the Artwork The painting depicts the Virgin Mary holding the Child Jesus in a tender and intimate moment. Warm colors, primarily reds, greens, and soft flesh tones, enhance the devotional nature of the scene. The use of golden halos, symbolizing sanctity, along with serene and realistic expressions, directly connects with the Renaissance pictorial tradition. The style belongs to classical academicism, characterized by a balanced composition, meticulous drawing, and a masterful use of chiaroscuro to give volume and depth to the figures. The detailed rendering of the flesh tones and draperies amplifies the spirituality and solemnity of the piece, evoking the works of great masters such as Raphael and Murillo. Artist's Biography Francisco Ribera Gómez (1907-1990) was a prominent 20th-century Spanish painter known for his depictions of religious scenes, female portraits, and costumbrist works. Trained at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, Ribera Gómez received numerous accolades and was regarded as one of the great exponents of Spanish academicism. His work combines a rigorous technical foundation with luminous sensitivity and an idealized sense of beauty. Influences and Comparisons Francisco Ribera Gómez's work can be compared to other academic and religious artists who share a similar aesthetic: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: In the emotional and approachable treatment of religious themes. William-Adolphe Bouguereau: For the idealization of human figures and technical mastery. Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio): For harmonious composition and the depiction of the Virgin Mary. Within the Spanish tradition, his style recalls Eduardo Rosales...

Mark Andrew Bailey's "Bad Hombre XLIV" (2025) is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts an impressionistic profile portrait of a male cowboy with a beard wearing a hat. Ab...

Original acrylic painting on canvas. Hand signed and dated lower left by Peter Max. Artwork size: 48.25 x 58 inches. Canvas is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition with...

Artist: Unknown after Gaetano Esposito Title: Painter with a Pipe Year: circa 1900 Medium: Oil on Canvas, signed illegibly verso Size: 16.5 x 13 in....

After Jean-Baptiste Van Loo, A Portrait of King Louis XV of France (1710-1774) A magnificent quality three-quarter length portrait of King Louis XV of France and Navarre, painted in the 18th century after Jean-Baptiste Van Loo. Oil on canvas, in the original carved and gilt wood frame. Canvas: 40" high x 32" wide Frame: 46.5" high x 39" wide Very good condition, ready to hang. No damages noted. The present composition follows a portrait of Louis XV painted by Jean-Baptiste Van Loo in 1726-1727, today in Versailles. (Oil on canvas. 198.5 by 143 cm. Inv. no. MV 6942.) There were several full-length portraits painted by Van Loo of the young Louis XV, and all were executed in the years of or after his majority, 1723, when he took full control of government, wresting power from the Régent, his great-uncle Philippe, Duc d'Orléans. A slightly larger version (205 by 171 cm), in which the pose and surrounding paraphernalia mirrors that of the present work, is in the Château de Versailles, while another, in which Louis stands more front-on, his pointing right index-finger now tucked in, and with a different background arrangement, is also in Versailles. Further versions of this latter are in Nice, Musée Chéret and the Musée de Perpignan. The composition of all of these full-lengths would appear to derive from Van Loo's large equestrian portrait of Louis XV, painted in collaboration with Charles Parrocel, which was commissioned in 1723 by the Surintendance for Charles de Lorraine. Louis is depicted in similar armour and costume, astride his horse, similarly turned three-quarters to the left and his right arm outstretched. Most subsequent depictions of Louis followed this original design, including, for example, Carle Van...

Dave Seeley's mesmerizing oil painting, "Venus of Los Angeles (Olympia)," is a contemporary masterpiece that pays homage to the timeless beauty of the female form. Created in 2023, t...

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Bor...

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique; this is not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity (Issued by...

By and by Too many thoughts rooted in my soul So many memories, the good and the bad They all shaped me. Colourful in a wink, darkness looted. But when it's all going grey, it shine...

From the Michael Hall Collection, this is a great American scene showing the excitement of the fair. It depicts a time when men wore coats and ties and women had hats at the fair be...

Follower of Edgard Maxence. French ( b.1871 - d.1954 ). Meditation, Circa 1910. Oil On Canvas. Image size 34.4 inches x 22.2 inches ( 87.5cm x 56.5cm ). Frame size 44.1 inches x 31.9...

Small limited edition run of 49 and 6 E.A."s (Edition of the artist). Each canvas reproduction is crafted by a skilled printer under the supervision of the artist. Román Francés has...

Antique French impressionist landscape oil painting by Leon Richet (1847 - 1907). Oil on canvas. Signed. Framed. Measuring 22 by 29 inches overall and 15 by 20 painting alone.

The name “Arike,” meaning “one who is cherished and pampered” in Yoruba, reflects the essence of this portrait—an individual whose story is rich with depth, emotion, and significance...

"The Three B's of Music" Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms, An Extremely Rare Oil Painting, C. 1880 "A true music lovers dream" - A true work of art. A very rare and collectible oil on canvas triptych painting depicting portraits of "The Three Bs of Classical Music": Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms - Housed in a fine carved and painted frame in gold gilt and green paint by Frederick Harer, with musical scores underneath each portrait. The paintings appear to be unsigned. The frame is signed on the back "F. W. Harer" and dated 1918. Each canvas: 17" high x 14" wide Outside frame: 29" high x 52.5" wide Provenance: Academy of Music, Philadelphia PA. Very good condition overall, no damages noted. Paintings are relined, some gold gilt highlights are rubbed in some areas of the frame. Frederick Harer was an American painter, sculptor and etcher, best known for his skill as a gilder and frame maker. He produced frames for many of the Pennsylvania Impressionist painters, including Edward Redfield and Daniel Garber. Today, having a Harer frame on a Pennsylvania Impressionist painting...

Amy Devlin portrays people, animals, or nature in her works. But what really matters to her is light and water, which she wants to capture in the form of a physical memory. By following her passion for paint, she tries to represent reality and thereby express her feeling in the expressive colors she uses. Her paintings show a fascination with the movement and texture of water, which is depicted in vivid colors in her works. Her hybrid painting style combines realism with impressionism in a very interesting way, providing a different view of the world and our memories of it. Devlin loves the unexpected, looks at things from a crazy angle and imagines. Since 2014 she mainly paints underwater portraits...

Georges HYON (Paris 1840 – Saint Germain en Laye 1913) Cavalry review of the 2nd Lancers regiment Oil on canvas H. 115 cm; W. 146.5 cm Signed lower left A student of Portalis, Georg...

Portrait of Henrietta Pelham-Holles (née Godolphin) (1701-1776), Duchess of Newcastle, standing in a wooded landscape with a river beyond, three-quarter length wearing an ivory silk ...

'Nude Viewed from the Back', oil on canvas, by Charles Kvapil (1937). The world of art has for centuries depicted nudes in one form or another. Kvapil's wonderfully alluring versions may likely be inspired by Courbet and Cézanne. This nude appears on a chair with her back to the artist and viewer. There are plush reds, sensuous pinks and darker, patterned curtains...

Josef Zenisek (1855–1944) Portrait of a Young Woman with Red Scarf, circa 1900 Oil on canvas Signed lower left This beautifully rendered portrait by Josef Zenisek captures the pois...

This painting depicts a whimsical portrait of a young girl with hair tied up against a light blue background and she wears a red dress. The bright colors used and quick brush strokes...

Vintage American signed interior scene oil painting. Oil on canvasboard. Signed. Framed. Image size, 14L x 11H.

Diana the huntress - Ettore Frattini Italia 2002 - Oil on canvas cm.100x60. The painting by Ettore Ferrante is a beautiful mythological reinterpretation of the hunting goddess Diana by the famous French painter of the 1800s Charles Alexandre Coessin De La...

Subtle and moody portrait of a Pensive man by Joan Tidwell (American, 1930-2002). The sitter in the portrait is a middle-aged man looking slightly downwards, wearing a collared shirt. This piece is completed in a tan and green palette, creating a somber feeling. Of particular note are the confident, thick brushstrokes - each one is well-placed in the modernist style. Similar in some ways to Picasso's portraits. Signed "Joan Tidwell" on verso Unframed. Canvas size: 30"H x 22"W oan Gay Tidwell (American, 1930-2002) was born and raised in Hollywood, CA, where she had some success as a child actor. Later, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Washington with a Master's Degree in English Literature and Drama. Tidwell moved to the Bay...

Amy Devlin portrays people, animals, or nature in her works. But what really matters to her is light and water, which she wants to capture in the form of a physical memory. By following her passion for paint, she tries to represent reality and thereby express her feeling in the expressive colors she uses. Her paintings show a fascination with the movement and texture of water, which is depicted in vivid colors in her works. Her hybrid painting style combines realism with impressionism in a very interesting way, providing a different view of the world and our memories of it. Devlin loves the unexpected, looks at things from a crazy angle and imagines. Since 2014 she mainly paints underwater portraits...

Reggatas day (tribute to Seurat), by Fabio Hurtado, is an oil painting on canvas which was created in 1995 and which obtained the Honorary Medal at the C...

Vlaho Bukovac (Croatian, 1855 - 1922) Portrait of a Lady Oil on canvas 18 1/2 x 15 inches Signed left middle Provenance: Private Collection Toronto Kuns...

Pierre-Victor Galland (1822 - 1892) Young woman in profile Oil on canvas 39.3 x 31.9 cm 65.2 x 55 x 7 cm with frame Artist's sale's stamp (monogram) top left (L. 1197)

Flemish school of the 19th century Armorial portrait of Baron Henri de ROISIN (1787-1846) in the uniform of a general of the gendarmerie (1835) Oil on canvas H. 108 cm; W. 90 cm Bar...

Reflections in the Twilight Oil Painting on Canvas Girls Guardian Angel In Stock Introduction: Step into the intriguing world of artist Suzan Schuttelaar and be enchanted by her vers...

Frederick William Macmonnies Marion Jones Farquhar, 1905-11 Oil on canvas 24 x 20 inches Provenance: William Clerk Private Collection, New York Literature: Mary Smart, A Flight with Fame: The Life and Art of Frederick MacMonnies, with a Catalogue Raisonne of Sculpture and a Checklist of Paintings by E. Adina Gordon, Madison, Connecticut, 1996, no. 90. The work depicts Marion Jones Farquhar who, was an American tennis player who competed during the late 19th century and early 20th century. She won the singles titles at the 1899 and 1902 U.S championships and was the first American woman to medal at the Olympics placing Bronze in singles. Additionally, she was the artist's sister-in-law who often played and competed with MacMonnies in golf and tennis. MacMonnies would often study the movements of her form referenced in his sculpture. When MacMonnies won a doubles golf tournament he said "Marion dragged my dead weight thro' and won us the tournament, showing what great Generalship can do." A sculptor of classical figures, American-born Frederick MacMonnies had fame in the United States and Europe in the later half of the 19th century and early 20th century. He occasionally returned to America but lived most of his life as in expatriate in France. He was especially known for his lithe bronze figures, especially ones titled Diana. The classical names of these figures allowed him the appearance of propriety but gave him the opportunity to model svelte nudes. Frederick MacMonnies was one of the first American sculptors to recognize the potential market of the middle class. He copyrighted his works and then contracted with foundries to mass produce some of his figures such as Diana in smaller sizes. MacMonnies was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was a child prodigy at carving stone. At age 18, he worked in the studio of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and then persuaded him to become his assistant, keeping models damp and covered, running errands, and cleaning the studio. Evenings he studied at the Art Students League, Cooper Union, and the National Academy of Design. In Saint-Gaudens' studio, he met many of the wealthy people who shared Saint-Gaudens Beaux-Arts based ideas that art and architecture should be unified in order to create public art in America equal to that of classical antiquity or Renaissance Europe. Among the men that MacMonnies met through Saint-Gaudens who later furthered his career were architects Stanford White and Charles McKim...

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...

Sweet Dreams - Oil on canvas painting, Eugenio De Blasi, Italy, 2011 Gold leaf gilded wooden frame cm. 134x94 The painting by Eugenio De Blasi is inspired by the painting "Sweet Dreams" by John William Godward, a neoclassical Victorian painter...

Beauty in her space was created by Tunde Bakare. Tunde created the painting with Oil paint on Ankara Wax Fabrics of 32W by 33H. Beauty in Her Space depic...

Attributed to Pierre Paul Prud’hon (French, 1758-1823) 'La belle musicienne' Oil on canvas, oval Signed ‘P. P. Prudon’ (lower left) 28.3/4 x 23.1/2 in. (73 x 59.5 cm.) Pierre Paul Prud'hon is considered a prime example of early French Romanticism. He was born as the seventh and last child of a master tailor. At the age of 16 he was a pupil of the painter and sculptor Francois Devosge. After finishing his studies he moved to Paris, where he first worked for an engraver and became friends with the Baron of Joursanvault, who became his patron. He also made a friendship with the "incorruptible", the politician and revolutionary Maximilien de Robespierre. Despite important friendships and the care of some cardinals, Prud'hon plunges into loneliness and melancholy. He has a good reputation and produces allegorical paintings, but his attachment to Robespierre forces him to leave the French capital. He now lives in the Free County of Burgundy, where he makes portraits and illustrations for Pierre Didot, the owner of the printing house. After a few years he moved back to Paris and his career received a new impetus. In the Louvre, Prud'hon is provided with a studio in which he paints "La sagesse et la vérité descendant sur la terre" (Wisdom and Truth descend to earth) for one year, as well as some ceilings of the Louvre. The government assigns him a studio in the Sorbonne, where his wife Jeanne, whom he married at the age of 19, comes looking for him. To escape her, he asks the museum director for protection. In 1808 he wrote "La justice et la vengeance divine poursuivant le crime" (Justice and divine revenge pursue the crime). In the same year he is also named Knight of the Legion of Honour and is able to break with his grumpy wife once and for all. He soon reconnects with his student and painter of neoclassicism Constance Mayer. Pierre is commissioned to paint a portrait of the Empress and wife of Napoleon, Joséphine de Beauharnais, which can still be seen today in the Louvre. He also paints the small "Roi de Rome" (King of Rome). In 1816 the Academy of Fine Arts elected him a member, where he took over the armchair in the painting section of François-André Vincent. A few years later his depressed wife commits suicide, and full of pain Prud'hon finishes her last work "Une famille malheureuse" (Engl. An Unhappy Family) and exhibits it. He himself dies soon afterwards and is buried in Paris. Many renowned artists admire Prud'hon for his "clair-obscur", the chiaroscuro painting...

John Bazadona (American, 1948-2000), "Model Shelly in Red Scarf", Oil on Canvas, 1974, signed and with Art Students League of New York label to verso, unframed. 50" H x 36" W. Proven...

Shipping Procedure Ships in a well-protected tube from Nigeria This work is unique, not a print or other type of copy. Accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity. About Artist Ola...

A painting of a young man's head by Mark Beard/Bruce Sargeant. Signed in red, u.l. Oil on canvas “Bruce Sargeant is a mythic figure in the modern art movement. He embodies a world...

This charming oil painting on marouflé canvas was designed by Robert Roujas (1908-2000). This romantic composition presents a study of a reclining nude seen from behind in a weary po...

Giovanni Maria DELLE PIANE, known as IL MULINARETTO (Genoa, 1660 – Monticelli d'Ongina, 1745) Portrait of a man Oil on oval canvas H. 108 cm; L. 83 cm Provenance: Nino Ferrari Colle...

America Martin "The Pitcher" Oil & Acrylic on Canvas 111 x 48.25 inches 112.5 x 49.5 inches framed Exploring the identity of both her namesake and country, LA-based America Martin d...

This animal portrait, "Cautious", is an 8x10 oil painting on canvas featuring a Golden Retriever dog and black cat in front of a barn door. Snow ...

Topers in Deep Conversation Dutch School, mid 17th entury circle of David Teniers (Dutch 1610-1690) oil on canvas canvas: 8 x 7 inches provenance: private collection, France conditio...

Work on canvas Green wooden frame and gold borders With frame 51 x 43 x 2.5 cm This captivating portrait depicts a man in profile, elegantly capturing an era with rich hues and expre...

Gamez de Francisco paints and photographs very passionately, making statements filled with symbolism. He frequently includes insects in his artwork. He says: Flying insects represent...

Contemporary pop culture inspired painting by German artist Jörg Döring. The work features a dynamic depiction of James Dean driving his Porsche 550 Spyder with the iconic number "13...

Joan Cruspinera Muñoz was born in 1945 in Tiana, Barcelona. This Catalan artist is a painter, draftsman and painter. His training is extensive and int...

This piece of work is encouraging individuals to cherish, preserve and celebrate their cultural heritage. In today's globalized world, cultural identity can become diluted or lost....

Everything that exists is a result of what we believe to be real. This reality serves as evidence of immortality. The soul and spirit are immortal, temporarily separating from the bo...

"Triple Elvis" (Denied) Silkscreen Painting by Charles Lutz Silkscreen and silver enamel paint on canvas with Artist's Denied stamp of the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board. 82 x 72" inches 2010 This important example was shown alongside works by Warhol in a two-person show "Warhol Revisited (Charles Lutz / Andy Warhol)" at UAB Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts in 2024. Lutz's 2007 ''Warhol Denied'' series gained international attention by calling into question the importance of originality or lack thereof in the work of Andy Warhol. The authentication/denial process of the [[Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board]] was used to create value by submitting recreations of Warhol works for judgment with the full intention for the works to be formally marked "DENIED". The final product of the conceptual project being "officially denied" "Warhol" paintings authored by Lutz. Based on the full-length Elvis Presley paintings by Pop Artist Andy Warhol in 1964, this is likely one of his most iconic images, next to Campbell's Soup Cans and portraits of Jackie Kennedy, Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor, and Marlon Brando. This is the rarest of the Elvis works from the series, as Lutz sourced a vintage roll of 1960's primed artist linen which was used for this one Elvis. The silkscreen, like Warhol's embraced imperfections, like the slight double image printing of the Elvis image. Lutz received his BFA in Painting and Art History from Pratt Institute and studied Human Dissection and Anatomy at Columbia University, New York. Lutz's work deals with perceptions and value structures, specifically the idea of the transference of values. Lutz's most recently presented an installation of new sculptures dealing with consumerism at Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater House in 2022. Lutz's 2007 Warhol Denied series received international attention calling into question the importance of originality in a work of art. The valuation process (authentication or denial) of the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board was used by the artist to create value by submitting recreations of Warhol works for judgment, with the full intention for the works to be formally marked "DENIED" of their authenticity. The final product of this conceptual project is "Officially DENIED" "Warhol" paintings authored by Lutz. Later in 2013, Lutz went on to do one of his largest public installations to date. At the 100th Anniversary of Marcel Duchamp's groundbreaking and controversial Armory Show, Lutz was asked by the curator of Armory Focus: USA and former Director of The Andy Warhol Museum, Eric Shiner to create a site-specific installation representing the US. The installation "Babel" (based on Pieter Bruegel's famous painting) consisted of 1500 cardboard replicas of Warhol's Brillo Box (Stockholm Type) stacked 20 ft tall. All 1500 boxes were then given to the public freely, debasing the Brillo Box as an art commodity by removing its value, in addition to debasing its willing consumers. Elvis was "the greatest cultural force in the Twentieth Century. He introduced the beat to everything, and he changed everything - music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution." Leonard Bernstein in: Exh. Cat., Boston, The Institute of Contemporary Art and traveling, Elvis + Marilyn 2 x Immortal, 1994-97, p. 9. Andy Warhol "quite simply changed how we all see the world around us." Kynaston McShine in: Exh. Cat., New York, Museum of Modern Art (and traveling), Andy Warhol: Retrospective, 1996, p. 13. In the summer of 1963 Elvis Presley was just twenty-eight years old but already a legend of his time. During the preceding seven years - since Heartbreak Hotel became the biggest-selling record of 1956 - he had recorded seventeen number-one singles and seven number-one albums; starred in eleven films, countless national TV appearances, tours, and live performances; earned tens of millions of dollars; and was instantly recognized across the globe. The undisputed King of Rock and Roll, Elvis was the biggest star alive: a cultural phenomenon of mythic proportions apparently no longer confined to the man alone. As the eminent composer Leonard Bernstein put it, Elvis was "the greatest cultural force in the Twentieth Century. He introduced the beat to everything, and he changed everything - music, language, clothes, it's a whole new social revolution." (Exh. Cat., Boston, The Institute of Contemporary Art (and traveling), Elvis + Marilyn 2 x Immortal, 1994, p. 9). In the summer of 1963 Andy Warhol was thirty-four years old and transforming the parameters of visual culture in America. The focus of his signature silkscreen was leveled at subjects he brilliantly perceived as the most important concerns of day to day contemporary life. By appropriating the visual vernacular of consumer culture and multiplying readymade images gleaned from newspapers, magazines and advertising, he turned a mirror onto the contradictions behind quotidian existence. Above all else he was obsessed with themes of celebrity and death, executing intensely multifaceted and complex works in series that continue to resound with universal relevance. His unprecedented practice re-presented how society viewed itself, simultaneously reinforcing and radically undermining the collective psychology of popular culture. He epitomized the tide of change that swept through the 1960s and, as Kynaston McShine has concisely stated, "He quite simply changed how we all see the world around us." (Exh. Cat., New York, Museum of Modern Art (and traveling), Andy Warhol: Retrospective, 1996, p. 13). Thus in the summer of 1963 there could not have been a more perfect alignment of artist and subject than Warhol and Elvis. Perhaps the most famous depiction of the biggest superstar by the original superstar artist, Double Elvis is a historic paradigm of Pop Art from a breath-taking moment in Art History. With devastating immediacy and efficiency, Warhol's canvas seduces our view with a stunning aesthetic and confronts our experience with a sophisticated array of thematic content. Not only is there all of Elvis, man and legend, but we are also presented with the specter of death, staring at us down the barrel of a gun; and the lone cowboy, confronting the great frontier and the American dream. The spray painted silver screen denotes the glamour and glory of cinema, the artificiality of fantasy, and the idea of a mirror that reveals our own reality back to us. At the same time, Warhol's replication of Elvis' image as a double stands as metaphor for the means and effects of mass-media and its inherent potential to manipulate and condition. These thematic strata function in simultaneous concert to deliver a work of phenomenal conceptual brilliance. The portrait of a man, the portrait of a country, and the portrait of a time, Double Elvis is an indisputable icon for our age. The source image was a publicity still for the movie Flaming Star, starring Presley as the character Pacer Burton and directed by Don Siegel in 1960. The film was originally intended as a vehicle for Marlon Brando and produced by David Weisbart, who had made James Dean's Rebel Without a Cause in 1955. It was the first of two Twentieth Century Fox productions Presley was contracted to by his manager Colonel Tom Parker, determined to make the singer a movie star. For the compulsive movie-fan Warhol, the sheer power of Elvis wielding a revolver as the reluctant gunslinger presented the zenith of subject matter: ultimate celebrity invested with the ultimate power to issue death. Warhol's Elvis is physically larger than life and wears the expression that catapulted him into a million hearts: inexplicably and all at once fearful and resolute; vulnerable and predatory; innocent and explicit. It is the look of David Halberstam's observation that "Elvis Presley was an American original, the rebel as mother's boy, alternately sweet and sullen, ready on demand to be either respectable or rebellious." (Exh. Cat., Boston, Op. Cit.). Indeed, amidst Warhol's art there is only one other subject whose character so ethereally defies categorization and who so acutely conflated total fame with the inevitability of mortality. In Warhol's work, only Elvis and Marilyn harness a pictorial magnetism of mythic proportions. With Marilyn Monroe, whom Warhol depicted immediately after her premature death in August 1962, he discovered a memento mori to unite the obsessions driving his career: glamour, beauty, fame, and death. As a star of the silver screen and the definitive international sex symbol, Marilyn epitomized the unattainable essence of superstardom that Warhol craved. Just as there was no question in 1963, there remains still none today that the male equivalent to Marilyn is Elvis. However, despite his famous 1968 adage, "If you want to know all about Andy Warhol, just look at the surface of my paintings" Warhol's fascination held purpose far beyond mere idolization. As Rainer Crone explained in 1970, Warhol was interested in movie stars above all else because they were "people who could justifiably be seen as the nearest thing to representatives of mass culture." (Rainer Crone, Andy Warhol, New York, 1970, p. 22). Warhol was singularly drawn to the idols of Elvis and Marilyn, as he was to Marlon Brando and Liz Taylor, because he implicitly understood the concurrence between the projection of their image and the projection of their brand. Some years after the present work he wrote, "In the early days of film, fans used to idolize a whole star - they would take one star and love everything about that star...So you should always have a product that's not just 'you.' An actress should count up her plays and movies and a model should count up her photographs and a writer should count up his words and an artist should count up his pictures so you always know exactly what you're worth, and you don't get stuck thinking your product is you and your fame, and your aura." (Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again), San Diego, New York and London, 1977, p. 86). The film stars of the late 1950s and early 1960s that most obsessed Warhol embodied tectonic shifts in wider cultural and societal values. In 1971 John Coplans argued that Warhol was transfixed by the subject of Elvis, and to a lesser degree by Marlon Brando and James Dean, because they were "authentically creative, and not merely products of Hollywood's fantasy or commercialism. All three had originative lives, and therefore are strong personalities; all three raised - at one level or another - important questions as to the quality of life in America and the nature of its freedoms. Implicit in their attitude is a condemnation of society and its ways; they project an image of the necessity for the individual to search for his own future, not passively, but aggressively, with commitment and passion." (John Coplans, "Andy Warhol and Elvis Presley," Studio International, vol. 181, no. 930, February 1971, pp. 51-52). However, while Warhol unquestionably adored these idols as transformative heralds, the suggestion that his paintings of Elvis...

Alms for the Poor by Richard Brakenburg (Flemish 1650-1702) oil on canvas, unframed Canvas: 25 x 30 inches Provenance: private collection, France, extensively inscribed verso Conditi...

This contemporary abstract woman's portrait with cherries was created by the French artist Natalya Mougenot. A faceless woman with flowing brown hair gently holds a blue bowl adorned...