Andy Warhol, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark from the Reigning Queens of 1985 |
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| Artist: | Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987) |
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| Title: | Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (Teal) from the Reigning Queens of 1985 |
| Reference: | FS II. 344 |
| Series: | Reigning Queens Royal Edition with Diamond Dust, 1985 |
| Medium: | Color Screenprint on Lenox Museum Board |
| Image Size: | 39 3/8 in x 31 1/2 in (100 cm x 80 cm) |
| Sheet Size: | 39 3/8 in x 31 1/2 in (100 cm x 80 cm) |
| Framed Size: | approx. 54 5/8 in x 46 5/8 in (138.7 cm x 118.4 cm) |
| Edition: | Numbered from the edition of 40 aside from 10 AP, 5 PP, 3 HC, and 30 TP in pencil in the lower left image. |
| Signature: | This work is hand-signed by Andy Warhol (Pennsylvania, 1928 - New York, 1987) in pencil in the lower left image. |
| Condition: | This work is in excellent condition. |
| ID # | w-6825 |
Warhol addresses his fascination with the extremes of social hierarchy in this series of Reigning Queens, specifically with the iconography of Queen Margrethe II. This 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 red and pink create a touching 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).
Andy Warhol Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was originally created in 1985 as part of a portfolio of 16 screenprints on Lenox Museum Board. Also featured in this series are Queen Beatrix, Queen Elizabeth II, and Queen Ntombi Twala; there also exists another Printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York and published by George C. P. Mulder, Amsterdam.
Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
This work 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. Listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. II. 344.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this work
About the Framing:
This work is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.
