SELF-PORTRAIT THAT DEFINED WARHOL AS THE HIGH PRIEST OF POP ART TO BE AUCTIONED AT CHRISTIE’S First Public Self-Proclamation of Warhol as the
Arbiter of Sixties Cool to Highlight the May 11 Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale and Expected to Realize Upwards of $20 Million
News-Antique.com - Apr 08,2011 - Photo caption: Andy Warhol Self-Portrait, 1963-1964
Acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas, in four parts, overall: 40 x 32 in. (101.6 x 81.3 cm.) Estimate: $20,000,000-30,000,000
“Nobody knows me…They want to see you.” — Florence Baron to Andy Warhol
New York — Christie’s is proud to offer Andy Warhol’s first and most iconic self-portrait.
Painted in 1963-1964, Self-Portrait by Andy Warhol marks the first historic crafting of the artist’s iconic image in a photo booth, a radical concept of picture making that revolutionized art history. The four-panel masterpiece executed in four distinct variations of blue, features Warhol for the first
time a new guise, that of the enigmatic superstar replete with silver hair, wayfarer sunglasses and a blank expression. It epitomizes Warhol’s desire to be a “machine” and is the perfect portrait of mass media and consumerism. Self-Portrait is a key highlight in Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Evening Sale in New York on May 11, 2011 and has an estimate of $20,000,000-30,000,000.
Warhol’s visage emblazoned on the Pop masterpiece reflects Warhol’s singular iconic status as the most important artist of the second half of the 20th century. Warhol’s own face is just as recognizable as his Hollywood subjects like Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe and Elvis. It is with this painting that Warhol documents his self-transformation into the self-proclaimed High Priest of Pop and the Arbiter of 1960s Cool. His eyes are masked, creating a distance between himself and the viewer and endowing his image with the aloof mystique of celebrity.
The genesis of this work is owed to its patron, Florence Barron, the path-breaking Detroit collector. Warhol was at first commissioned by Barron to paint her portrait. But then Barron, who often came to New York to support struggling artists, suggested that Warhol depict himself instead, telling the artist: “Nobody knows me…They want to see you.”
According to Brett Gorvy, International Co-Head, Deputy Chairman for Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art, “Self-Portrait heralds the beginning of Andy Warhol’s superstardom. With dark sunglasses an oblivious gaze, Warhol was ahead of his time in creating a new archetype of glamour. The painting is remarkable not only for its visual impact and the introduction of the photo booth genre, but for marking a key moment in the history of art, when Warhol takes his place in the pantheon of celebrity; alongside Marilyn, Elizabeth and Elvis.”
This astonishing work has remained in the hands of the Barron family since its creation. It has been the cover image of the catalogues for the major Warhol retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art and the Pompidou Center in 1990 and the Andy Warhol: A Factory exhibition at the Guggenheim Bilbao in 1999.
Auction: Christie’s New York
May 11, 2011 at 7pm
About Christie’s
Christie’s, the world's leading art business had global auction and private sales in 2010 that totaled £3.3 billion/$5.0 billion. Christie’s is a name and place that speaks of extraordinary art, unparalleled service and expertise, as well as international glamour. Founded in 1766 by James
