Andy Warhol
Goethe, FS II.271
1982

About the Item

"Goethe" is a silkscreen in colors made by Andy Warhol in 1982. The work is signed and editioned in graphite, lower left, "70/100 Andy Warhol". The artwork size is 38 x 38 inches. The framed size is 38 7/8 x 38 7/8 x 1 1/2 inches. This work depicts Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre director, and critic from the 18th century. Much like many of Warhol's screenprints, the source image was appropriated and modified in his typically colorful Pop style. Unlike many other works however, this print shows Warhol's respect for past figures rather than contemporary cultural icons. This focus on art historical figures became a revisited subject towards the end of Warhol's career. In 1810 Geothe created a Theory of Colours which conceptualizes a symmetrical colour wheel, and his depiction by Warhol elevates him as an essential figure in the art historical canon, in-line with Warhol's own use of color. In addition to the Goethe series, Warhol created his Renaissance painting series around this time, in 1984. Provenance: Pace Editions, Inc., New York, New York Private Collection, acquired from the above

Creator:
Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987, American)
Creation Year:
1982
Dimensions:
Height: 38 in (96.52 cm)Width: 38 in (96.52 cm)
Medium:
Screen
Movement & Style:
Pop Art
Period:
Late 20th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
Palm Desert, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: 450981stDibs: LU9313499902
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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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