Queen Margrethe II (from Reigning Queens Series), Unique Trial Proof, 1985

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Andy Warhol
Queen Margrethe II (from Reigning Queens Series), Unique Trial Proof, 1985
1985

About the Item

Andy Warhol Reigning Queens Series, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (Violet), 1985 was originally created in 1985 as part of a portfolio of 16 screenprints on Lenox Museum Board. There is a rare Royal Edition series which features diamond dust along the outline of the entire print, and this particular work is from the Reigning Queens edition of 1985 in which diamond dust was excluded from the screenprint during production. Also featured in this series are Queen Beatrix, Queen Elizabeth II, and Queen Ntombi Twala. This series was printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York and published by George C. P. Mulder, Amsterdam. Warhol addresses his fascination with the extremes of social hierarchy in this series of Reigning Queens, specifically with the iconography of Queen Margrethe II. Andy Warhol Queen Margrethe II from Reigning Queens Series, 1985 Unique Trial Proof is the perfect example of Warhol’s ability to transform the entire medium of traditional portraiture and translate it to contemporary, political relevance. The scale of her is all-consuming; the size of this work is perhaps paramount to her grandeur and position in society. She is larger-than-life, a Queen with respectable notoriety and a prominent history and social standing among the Danish people. This portrait of Queen Margrethe II also details Warhol’s playfulness with line and color while also exhibiting his view on conventional portraiture. The deep shades of violet and blue create a captivating image of the Queen, perhaps transforming her from the view of the bourgeois upper class to a more palpable, everyday poster image we can all relate to. She now falls into the category of popular kitsch culture, while her elegant features continue to be accented by the drawn line of Warhol’s hand. Frayda Feldman describes this series best: “Warhol intended his portraits to be seen – as vanitas images, history paintings, or simply glamour poses – he did more than any other artist to revitalize the practice of portraiture, bringing renewed attention to it in the avant-garde art world. He reflected the desires and dreams of a new decade and expanded his cast to include the latest characters from the world of sports, television, and politics and also dramatically escalated his portrait commissions” (Feldman 3rd ed. pg. 22-3). Catalogue Raisonné & COA: Andy Warhol Reigning Queens Series, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (Violet), 1985 is fully documented and referenced in the below catalogue raisonnés and texts (copies will be enclosed as added documentation with the invoices that will accompany the final sale of the work). 1. Feldman, Frayda and Jörg Schellmann. Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962 – 1987, 4th Ed. New York: Distributed Art Publishers, Inc., 2003. Three other color variants are listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné nos. IIB 342-345. About the Framing: This work is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complementary moulding and optical grade Plexiglas.

Creator:
Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987, American)
Creation Year:
1985
Dimensions:
Height: 39.38 in (100.03 cm)Width: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)
Medium:
Board,Screen
Movement & Style:
Pop Art
Period:
1980-1989
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Palo Alto, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: 48441stDibs: LU156728693722

Shop All Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol

The name of American artist Andy Warhol is all but synonymous with Pop art, the movement he helped shape in the 1960s. He was phenomenally prolific, and the archive of original photography, prints, drawings, paintings and other art that he left behind is beyond vast.

Andy Warhol is known for his clever appropriation of motifs and images from popular advertising and commercials, which he integrated into graphic, vibrant works that utilized mass-production technologies such as printmaking, photography and silkscreening. Later in his career, Warhol expanded his oeuvre to include other forms of media, founding Interview magazine and producing fashion shoots and films on-site at the Factory, his world-famous studio in New York.

Born and educated in in Pittsburgh, Warhol moved to New York City in 1949 and built a successful career as a commercial illustrator. Although he made whimsical drawings as a hobby during these years, his career as a fine artist began in the mid-1950s with ink-blot drawings and hand-drawn silkscreens. The 1955 lithograph You Can Lead a Shoe to Water illustrates how he incorporated in his artwork advertising styles and techniques, in this case shoe commercials.

As a child, Warhol was often sick and spent much of his time in bed, where he would make sketches and put together collections of movie-star photographs. He described this period as formative in terms of his skills and interests. Indeed, Warhol remained obsessed with celebrities throughout his career, often producing series devoted to a famous face or an object from the popular culture, such as Chairman Mao or Campbell’s tomato soup. The 1967 silkscreen Marilyn 25 embodies his love of bright color and famous subjects.

Warhol was a prominent cultural figure in New York during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. The Factory was a gathering place for the era’s celebrities, writers, drag queens and fellow artists, and collaboration was common. To this day, Warhol remains one of the most important artists of the 20th century and continues to exert influence on contemporary creators.

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