Andy Warhol, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark FS 344, from the Reigning Queens of 1985: 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 teal 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 3^rd ed. pg. 22-3).

Andy Warhol, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark FS 344 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. Andy Warhol, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark FS 344 is listed and illustrated as catalogue raisonné no. II. 343.2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany our Andy Warhol, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark FS 344.

About the Framing:
Andy Warhol, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark FS 344 is framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.

How did Andy Warhol create this Queen Margrethe II screenprint:

To create the screenprint, Warhol likely began with a photograph of Queen Margrethe II. He then transferred this image onto a silkscreen, a mesh fabric stretched over a frame. Areas of the screen were blocked off with a light-sensitive emulsion, leaving only the areas where the ink should pass through.

Next, Warhol would apply ink to the screen and use a squeegee to press the ink through the open areas of the screen onto a sheet of paper or canvas beneath it. This process was repeated for each color in the artwork, with a separate screen used for each color. Warhol's works are known for their vibrant and sometimes unconventional color combinations, and the "Queen Margrethe II of Denmark" screenprint likely reflects his characteristic bold and colorful style.