583 - Andy Warhol (1928 Pittsburgh – New York 1987)

Andy Warhol (1928 Pittsburgh – New York 1987) Sigmund Freud Color silkscreen on Lenox Museum board. (1980). Approx. 101.5 x 81.5 cm (sheet size). One of 200 numbered copies. Signed lower right. From the portfolio “Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century,” comprising 10 color silkscreen prints. Published by Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc., New York/Jonathan A Editions, Tel Aviv; bears the edition stamp on the reverse. Printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York; bears the blind stamp. Feldman/Schellmann II.235. • Iconic portrait of Freud from Warhol’s famous 1980 series “Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century” • Vibrant colors and striking contours make Freud a Pop Art icon • Fascinating fusion of intellectual history and pop culture The portrait of Sigmund Freud is part of the 1980 portfolio “Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century,” which Andy Warhol dedicated to ten outstanding figures who had a lasting impact on the scientific, intellectual, and cultural life of the 20th century. Warhol depicts scientists, writers, and philosophers using the same artistic techniques he had previously employed for Hollywood stars and celebrities. With vibrant colors and striking graphic accents, Warhol transforms the historical portrait of Freud into a contemporary pop icon. Warhol portrays not so much the physical appearance of the founder of psychoanalysis as he does his significance. Freud’s exploration of the unconscious and Andy Warhol’s preoccupation with the surface come together here in a compelling way. With this portfolio—which includes not only Freud but also, for example, Albert Einstein, Franz Kafka, Gertrude Stein, and Sarah Bernhardt—Warhol broadens his range of subjects. Until then, he had primarily portrayed figures from film, politics, and society whose fame was closely tied to the media landscape of their time. The “Ten Portraits” depict figures whose intellectual achievements can be understood as timeless, and in this way, Andy Warhol bridges high culture and pop culture in his own unique way. Provenance: Private collection, Southern Germany. Taxation: subject to differential taxation (VAT: Margin Scheme).