Continental US - Portrait Paintings

Eastman Johnson John Van Schaick Lansing Pruyn, 1883 Initialed and dated lower left Oil on canvas 28 x 18 inches For many years the foremost genre painter in the United States, Eas...

"White Shirt" by Barbara Hack is an original portrait painting depicting a female model. This piece is framed and ready to hang. Barbara Hack’s work is an ongoing reflection on peo...

In the mid-1960s Joseph Solman (American, 1909 - 2008) was commissioned to create portraits of the Begg family. This is a portrait of John Begg Jr., the son of the mid-century nuclear family...

Vintage impressionist oil painting by Pierre Eugène Duteurtre (1911 - 1989). Oil on canvas, circa 1970. Signed. Displayed in a period frame. ...

Acknowledging the beauty that lies beneath, she struggles to break through past shallow entanglement. Clarity within reach, her gasping consciousness shutters beneath the weight of h...

Crafted in 2024, The Veil of Now is an original mixed media on panel by artist Jon Wassom, measuring 16 x 12 x 1.50 inches. This striking figurative portrait demonstrates Wassom’s ad...

Inspired by her background in fashion, artist Lindsey McCord creates vibrant portraits that encapsulate the confidence that comes with the fun of being stylish and chic. Her figures ...

America Martin "The Pitcher" Oil & Acrylic on Canvas 111 x 48.25 inches 112.5 x 49.5 inches framed Signature located in the lower left of the painting. Exploring the identity of bo...

Original acrylic painting on canvas. Hand signed on front; signed and titled on verso by Jozza. Canvas is stretched. Artwork is in excellent condition. Certificate of authentici...

This exquisite 18th-century portrait depicts a young girl, delicately rendered in the style of Sir Godfrey Kneller, one of the most celebrated portrait painters of the Baroque period...

At Doug's Place by Lu Haskew Oil 12x10" image size Plein Air artists sit by a river discussing on break from the day of painting. ABOUT THE ARTIST: Lu considered it a must to work...

Pegah Samaie's (CA based) "Masked" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a woman's face with floating fabric flowers that partially obstruct her features About the Arti...

"Miss Vampire" (2024) by Audrey Benjaminsen is an original handmade gouache painting that depicts a close up portrait of a bat wearing Victorian era clothing.

"Falling Asleep While Spinning Yarn" by Louis Edwarmay is a captivating piece that beautifully captures the quietude and exhaustion of daily labor. The painting portrays a woman in t...

Edwin Kosarek (b.1929). Reclining Nude, 1952. Oil on wood panel, 17 x 48 inches. Signed and dated on verso. Edwin Kosarek Born: 1929 Studied: The Cit...

4069 Italian nobleman oil painting unframed

Sara Scribner's (US based) "Luminous" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a realistic portrait of a feminine form in a white dress with delicate white butterflies drawing near her in the darkness. About the Artist: Sara Scribner (B. 1982 Fremont, California) is a figurative painter living in Oklahoma. She earned a BFA in painting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She has exhibited in museums and galleries across the US and in Europe, including European Museum of Modern Art (MEAM) museum in Barcelona, Spain, Wausau Museum of Art in Wausau, WI, Wally Workman Gallery...

A fine European portrait of a priest, oil on canvas, probably dating to the 17th or 18th century, unsigned, with original stretcher, minor surface losses and damage, craquelure, edge...

America Martin "Goose Queen" Oil & Acrylic on Canvas 49.5 x 49.5 in. Framed Exploring the identity of both her namesake and country, LA-based America Martin draws inspiration from h...

Antique American or European realist skeleton still life drawing. In excellent original condition. Handsomely framed in a silver leaf molding. Excellent condition, ready to hang ...

ANNA KINCAIDE "Seasons Change" Oil on Canvas 48 x 48 inches Communicating emotion and narrative with limited assistance from her figure’s facial expressions, Anna Kincaide creates c...

PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR (1841-1919) Portrait de femme - Berthe Poret bears signature (lower left) oil on canvas 17 15/16 x 14 3/4 in (45.5 x 37.4 cm) Painted between 1862-1863 Footnotes This work will be included in the forthcoming Pierre-Auguste Renoir Digital Catalogue Raisonné, currently being prepared under the sponsorship of the Wildenstein Plattner Institute, Inc. Provenance Berthe Poret Collection, France (acquired from the artist in 1863). Thence by descent to the previous owner. Private collection (acquired from the above in 1947). O'Hana Gallery, London (acquired circa 1955). Michael Mathias Collection, US (acquired through Emmanuel Javogue Fine Arts, Miami in 1998). Simic Galleries, Carmel, by 2000. Private collection, Texas (acquired circa 2007). Private collection, Atlanta. Acquired from the above by the previous owner in February 2019. Exhibited London, O'Hana Gallery, Cezanne to Picasso "Oeuvres de jeunesse," April 12 - May 16, 1956, no. 13 (titled 'Portrait of Mlle. Berthe Poret'). Paris, Galerie Drouot - Provence, Exposition, June 1 - July 31, 1959. Edmonton, The Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edouard Cortes (1882-1969), Paris and French Countryside Revealed, June 9 - September 3, 2001. Literature G-P. & M. Dauberville, Renoir, Catalogue raisonné des tableaux, pastels, dessins et aquarelles, vol. I, 1858-1881, Paris, 2007, no. 440 (illustrated p. 453; titled 'Portrait de Mademoiselle Berthe Poret' and dated circa 1863). One of the earliest known paintings by Renoir...

Alphonse Mucha (1860-1939) Four lithographs on wove paper For serious collectors and museum collections. A full set of Mucha’s iconic period lithographs representing The Times Of Th...

This bold and expressive mixed-media portrait by artist Serg Graff presents a fantastical reimagining of a young George Washington (1732-1799) - the Founding Father of the United Sta...

Victor Manuel: 1897-1969. Well listed Cuban artist who has auction results as high as $319,000. He as an early member of the "Vanguardia" movement of ar...

Rebecca Venn's (US based) "Untitled" is an original, handmade oil painting on canvas paper that depicts a nude female model laying on her back. This is ...

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...

"The Wind" is an original painting on canvas measuring 30 x 40 inches by Erik Freyman. The artist is best known for his 80's style which draws heavily on Art ...

Blue is painted in the style of American Realism. The painting is Representational Figurative art which is a time consuming process especially with portraits and figurative art. T...

An Introspective 1930s Modern Portrait, "Acolyte" by Noted Chicago Artist, Francis Chapin (Am. 1899-1965). Dry watercolor on board. Artwork size: 15” x 12” (Framed size: 18 3/4” ...

Portrait painting of a young woman dressed in black with a bonnet. The woman has a rose in her right hand and presents her left hand with a r...

Endre Szasz, Hungarian (1926 - 2003) - Amphibian Woman, Year: circa 1970, Medium: Oil on masonite, signed lower right, Size: 24 x 11.75 in. (60.96 x 29.85 cm), Frame Size: 38 x 2...

n.d. Double-sided oil painting on panel Signed in red This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City.

Antique Dog Painting of a Terrier: “The Shah” George Earl (England, 1824-1908) Circa 1870 Oil on canvas. 12 ¾ x 12 ¾ (21 x 21 frame) inches. Orig...

Sailboat Race Miriam Bromberg Date: circa 1960 Oil on Canvas, signed lower right Size: 24 x 50 in. (60.96 x 127 cm)

Pair of two vintage portraits of Native American figures, one older and one younger, in profile with braids and headdresses by Victor S. ...

Wonderful English mid century portrait of a Saluki dog. Kate Gray was a British animal portrait painter during the last half of the 20th century. She also painted flower subjects. ...

Robert Azensky is pleased to offer a signed vintage original oil portrait of a woman "I see you" Compelling mid century modern portrait of a woman with expression that gets a wide v...

Oil on canvas Signed in black, u.l. This artwork is offered by ClampArt, located in New York City. Price includes framing. “Bruce Sargeant is a mythic figure in the modern art move...

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...

Original painting on canvas. Hand signed on front by the artist. Studio stamp on verso. Artwork is in excellent condition. Peter Max Studio Certificate of Authenticity included. A...

Gary John's pop-street artworks have a whimsical, yet exciting and bold quality inspired by classic cartoon and comic book characters. Blending pop sensibilities with a roughened fau...

Lisa Fricker's "A Life That Mattered" is an original, handmade oil painting that depicts a portrait of a woman looking down seemingly glancing away from the viewer. This painting mea...

At the Plaza - John F. Kennedy by Alex Schloss, American (1921 - 2011) Date: 1991 Oil on canvas, signed and titled lower right Size: 24 x 20 in. (60.96 x 50.8 cm) Frame Size: 25.5...

Memories of Love III (The Girl behind the White Picket Fence) - 2013 20x20cm, Edition of 10, plus 2 Artist Proofs. Archival C-Print, based on a Polaroid. Certificate and signatur...

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...

WEISBUCH, Claude. Oil on Canvas Framed size: 39” H x 28” W Canvas, without frame: 32” high x 21 ¼” wide. Carved wooden frame with antique gold-leaf finish Claude Weisbuch, 1927-2014 French painter, draftsman and engraver. He studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in Nancy and upon graduation became a professor of engraving at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts de of St. Etienne. His first solo exhibition was in 1957. In 1968 , he became a full member of the Society of French Painters-Engravers . In 1997 he was awarded the Legion of Honor His work is essentially devoted to engraving, by which he likes to translate, thanks to the line, the life, movement and character of his characters: Punchinels, harlequins, musicians or equestrian scenes. He practices various techniques ( lithography, drypoint etching etc.) that he puts to use in the illustration of bibliophile books. Claude Weisbuch is also a painter and draftsman. His favorite colors are ochres, browns and whites, with which he seeks to introduce the effects of light by compositions where the line and finesse of the drawing preserve the life found in his engravings. His precise and dynamic line delivers a moving and swirling work on themes he loves: theater, opera, equestrian, musicians, card players, Kabuki dancers and many portraits. His works have the appearance of unfinished sketches mixing few colors but a great vivacity of the line. He illustrated many limited edition signed fine art books. Alon with Christo, Arman and Cesar he is considered among the great post war French artists of the last generation. Exhibitions 1957: Saint Placide Gallery, paintings and engravings 1958: Galerie de Presbourg, Paris, paintings - Saint Placide Gallery, Paris, paintings - Galerie des Arts, Nancy, etchings 1960: Galerie Hervé, "Extraordinary Pantomimes", Paris, paintings 1961: Salon of the young painting and painters witnesses of their time 1962: O'Hanna Gallery, London , paintings 1963: Galerie Hervé, "Portrait Of Man", Paris, Paintings - Nichido Gallery, Tokyo, Paintings 1965: Hervé Gallery, "100 Drawings", Paris Dresdener Gallery, Toronto, paintings 1966: Dantesca Gallery, Turin , paintings, engravings, drawings 1968: New Vision Gallery, Paris, engravings 1969: Galerie Hervé, Paris, paintings - Galerie Reflets, Brussels , prints, paintings - Galerie Dresder, Montreal , paintings 1970: Taménaga Gallery, Tokyo, paintings - Sagot Gallery - The Garrec, Paris, etchings - Museum of Modern Art of the City of Paris ARC, Paris, prints 5 1971: War Gallery, Avignon , etchings Biennial of Engraving, Epinal 1972: Dantesca Gallery, Turin Festival, Sarlat , paintings 1973: Wayss Gallery, Nancy , paintings, engravings, drawings Auguste Comte Gallery, Lyon , paintings, engravings, drawings Taménaga Gallery, Tokyo, paintings - New Vision Gallery, "Homage to Rembrandt", Paris, etchings 1974: Esthetika Gallery, Kortrijk, engravings - Galerie Hervé Odermatt, Paris, paintings Ésthetika Gallery, Kurne, prints - Galerie Wayss, Nancy, engravings, drawings, pastels Dietesheim Gallery, Neuchâtel , engravings - Grafikhuset Gallery, Stockholm , prints, drawings 1975: Schwarzer Gallery, Vienna , engravings, paintings, drawings Fogola Gallery, Turin, drawings, pastels Sotheby-Parke Benett, Munich, engravings, drawings Hervé Odermatt Gallery, Paris, drawings Joly Gallery, Washington , engraving 1976: Taménaga Gallery, Tokyo, paintings - Wayss Gallery, Nancy, engravings, drawings - Tabula Gallery, Tübingen, engravings, drawings - New Vision Gallery, "The horse-The painter and his model", Paris, drawings, engravings 1977: Grafikhuset, Futura, Stockholm - Jivô Gallery, Vänersborg Pigalle Gallery, Norrköping Celsius Gallery, Uppsala Möbius Gallery, Gothenburg - New Vision Gallery, Jerusalem - Cultural Center of Sainte-Menehould Castle, retrospective, engravings 1978: David Barnett Gallery, Milwaukee , engravings, drawings Orangery Gallery, Cologne , engravings, drawings, pastels Grafikhuset Futura, Stockholm, paintings, drawings Les Cordeliers, Châteauroux, engravings, drawings, paintings House of Culture, Montbéliard, engravings House of Culture, Chelles , engravings, paintings, drawings 1979: L'Empreinte Gallery, Strasbourg, prints, drawings - Galerie Reflets, Brussels, prints, drawings - Galerie Bon à tirer, Los Angeles , prints, pastels 1980: Hervé Odermatt Gallery, Paris, "Calligraphy of the figure", paintings - E. Gollon Gallery, Saint-Paul-de-Vence 1981: European Biennale of Engraving, Baden-Bade Galerie The Art Shop, Nice Galerie Hélène Trintignant, Montpellier Martine Remy Gallery, Strasbourg 1982: Vallen Gallery, Stockholm - Sagot Gallery - The Garrec, Paris - Taménaga Gallery, Tokyo, paintings - New Vision Gallery, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, etchings 1983: Hélène Trintignant Gallery, Montpellier 1984: Perrine Museum, Laval , etchings - Music Festival, Quimper , etchings Etchings, Moscow - Presence Gallery, Brussels, paintings, etchings 1985: Galerie Moyon-Avenard, Nantes, paintings - Taménaga Gallery, Paris, paintings - New Otani Hotel, Ōsaka, realization of murals 1986: Taménaga Gallery, Tokyo, paintings - Greenhouse of the School of Fine Arts, Saint-Étienne , paintings, engravings 1988: Retrospective paintings, Château de Chenonceau Retrospective engravings, Artothèque Museum Montpellier Taménaga Gallery, Paris, drawings, pastels New Vision Gallery, Tokyo, engravings 1989: Galerie Taménaga, Paris, paintings Exit of the book Weisbuch , texts of Jean-Denis Bredin of the French Academy, preface by Jean-Marie Tasset. 1990: Taménaga Gallery, Paris, paintings 1992: Retrospective, Sarlat - Taménaga Gallery, Paris, drawings 1993: Taménaga Gallery, Tokyo and Osaka 1994: Paintings for the second international meetings of the cello ensemble, Beauvais - Elegance Gallery, Taipei - Sanbi Gallery, Tokyo, graphic works - Mitsukoshi, Tōkyō 1995: Taménaga Gallery, Ōsaka - Exhibition of the Gobelins Municipal Circle, Paris 13 th 1996: 2nd Music Trades Fair, Premonstratensian Abbey , Pont-à-Mousson , paintings - Ginza Spring, Tokyo, paintings - New Otani Museum, Tokyo, paintings 1997: Galerie Raugraff, Nancy, paintings, pastels, drawings, engravings, lithographs - Theater Gallery, Besançon, paintings, drawings, engravings, lithographs 1999: A retrospective "Weisbuch, 50 years of prints", 230 works exhibited in Strasbourg under the direction of its publisher, L'Estampe Éditions 3 - Taménaga Gallery, Paris, Tōkyō 2000: Retrospective Château de Vascœuil , by L'Estampe - Theater Gallery, Besançon , paintings, drawings, engravings, pastels, lithographs - Retrospective Chamber of Commerce, Strasbourg - engravings (retrospective), Jacques Brel cultural center, Thionville - engravings (retrospective ), chamber of commerce, Nancy 2001: Retrospective Orangerie of Madame Élisabeth, Versailles , paintings 2002: Taménaga Gallery "Movements", Paris 2003: L'Estampe Gallery, in partnership with the Theater Gallery - prints and paintings, Besançon 2004: Taménaga Gallery "Prometheus presenting the secret of fire to humans", Paris Crid'Art Gallery, L'Estampe Gallery, Amnéville-les-Thermes , paintings, prints, drawings, prints - Galerie des Arts, Nîmes , paintings 2010: Galerie125, Argancy , recent works, exhibition of 100 recent works by the artist. 2012: Exhibition at the Château de Malbrouck . More than 150 works by the artist. Organized by the General Council of Moselle and L'Estampe (editor Claude Weisbuch). 2012: Print, Strasbourg, paintings, engravings, drawings 2012: Exhibition at the House of wines of Graves de Podensac in Gironde. 150 works by the artist Event organized by Course N ° 3. 2013: Galerie125, Argancy, "Weisbuch, major works", exhibition of drawings, engravings, lithographs and oils on canvas 2014: Galerie125, Argancy, "Weisbuch, from 1947 to 1960", exhibition of 100 ancient engravings...

Ettore Tito (17 December 1859 – 26 June 1941) was an Italian painter known for his significant contributions to the Venetian school of painting. Born in Castellammare di Stabia, near...

A beautiful realist mid 19th century portrait of Gerardina Van Osch (Dutch, 1819-1898) by Jan Hendrik Neuman (Johan Heinrich Neuman) (German, 1819-1898). S...

John Singer Sargent 1856-1925 American Stamped by artist's estate (en verso) Oil on canvas John Singer Sargent, widely regarded as one of history's most distinguished portraitists...

An Exceptional Quality Orientalist Portrait of "A Moorish Chief from Algeria", circa 1880. Oil on canvas painting depicting a Moorish chief / gu...

Lebanese American artist Sally K.'s captivating floral portraits are both mesmerizing and empowering. Her pop-realistic paintings are inspired by strong, feminine women, celebrating...

"Beneath the Sun, Upon the Sand" by Maya Ripley is an original acrylic painting on canvas that uniquely blends figurative art with vibrant botanical symbolism and striking graphic mo...

Artist: Ashot Muradyan Work: Original Painting, Handmade Artwork, One of a Kind Medium: Oil on Linen Year: 2024 Style: Impressionism, Subject: Spring Woman Size: 23.5" x 19.5" x 0....

Friedrich Wigand (Russian, 1800-1853). Portrait of a Young Man, 1841. Oil on canvas, 12.5 x 16 inches. Framed measurement: 17 x 20.5 inches. Signed an...

"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...

Jirayr Hamparzoom Zorthian was born April 14, 1911 in Kutahya, Turkey, of Armenian parents. At the age of three, he showed considerable talent in drawing and painting. Zorthian we...