Andy Warhol
Queen Ntombi Twala, from Reigning Queens
1985

About the Item

Unique screenprint in colours, 1985, on Lenox Museum Board, signed in pencil, numbered and inscribed TP 12/30, a unique trial proof, aside from the standard edition of 40, printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York, published by George C. P. Mulder, Amsterdam, 100 x 80 cm. (39¼ x 31½ in.) Queen Ntombi Twala is one of four portraits which makeup Warhol’s renowned portfolio Reigning Queens, 1985. Each of the four Queens were chosen by the artist because they assumed their thrones through birthright. Queen Ntombi Twala remains the current ruling monarch of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) along with her son and is considered an important, powerful addition to Warhol’s series as the only non-European Queen. Using his characteristic vibrant colour blocking and off-register line drawing technique, Warhol has transformed this regal state portrait into one that is distinctly ‘Pop’. In this transformation, Warhol is further building on the regal status of Queen Ntombi to that of international pop-culture stardom. In the present piece, Warhol is showcasing his mastery of off-register line drawing to enhance the elements of her jewelry and crown, drawing attention to the sitter’s prestige. The Reigning Queens portfolio highlights Warhol’s lifelong fascination with female icons as powerful global figures as well as his preoccupation with the proliferation of their image. Bibliography: Feldman & Schellmann IIB.346-349

Creator:
Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987, American)
Creation Year:
1985
Dimensions:
Height: 39.38 in (100 cm)Width: 31.5 in (80 cm)
Medium:
Screen
Movement & Style:
Pop Art
Period:
Late 20th Century
Condition:
Gallery Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 1097351stDibs: LU47013195572
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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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