Andy Warhol Saint Apollonia, 1984 is a screenprint from his 1984 Saint Apollonia portfolio. Warhol, who is all too familiar with rejuvenating and immortalizing celebrities and other famous figures in his work, celebrates Saint Apollonia by recreating her greatness in his iconic Pop-art style. The original portrait of Saint Apollonia is attributed to the Italian painter Piero della Francesca, c. 1455-1460, and Warhol’s Saint Apollonia 332 print bears the most resemblance to the original painting, using very similar colors while adding a vibrancy that is not apparent in Francesca’s version. The muddy brownish-orange monochromatic background allows her to command the composition, her pale skin juxtaposing the warm toned background. Using blue for her cloak, Warhol ties her holiness to that of the virgin Mary, as deep blues were an expensive pigment to come by and was usually reserved for important people.

Depicting one of the many virgin martyrs that suffered from the violent upsirings against Christians in Alexandria, Egypt during the middle of the 2^nd century. In a letter written by Dionysius, the Bishop of Alexandria, to Fabios, the Bishop of Antioch, reveals her unfortunate fate; “These men seized her also and by repeated blows broke all her teeth. They then erected outside the city gates a pile of wood and threatened to burn her alive if she refused to repeat after them impious words (either a blasphemy against Christ, or an invocation of the heathen gods). Given, at her own request, a little freedom, she sprang quickly into the fire and was burned to death”.

Created in 1984, Saint Apollonia is a Screenprint on Essex Offset Kid Finish paper and is hand-signed by Andy Warhol (Pennsylvania, 1928 - New York, 1987) in the lower left margin. This work is from the edition of 250 in pencil in the bottom left margin; aside from the 35 Artist Proofs, 8 Printers Proofs, and 80 Trial Proofs.

Catalogue Raisonné & COA:
Andy Warhol, Saint Apollonia, 1984 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 sale of the work).

1. Feldman, Frayda and Jörg Schellmann, A Catalogue Raisonne, 4th ed. Listed as catalogue raisonné no. II.332.
2. A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany this artwork.

About the Framing:
Framed to museum-grade, conservation standards, Andy Warhol Saint Apollonia, 1984 is presented in a complementary moulding and finished with silk-wrapped mats and optical grade Plexiglas.