A recently rediscovered portrait of the Hollywood star is an exciting addition to one of the artist’s most famous series of paintings
‘Andy Warhol was one of those pioneers of 20th-century art who really changed the direction in which art was going,’ says Stephen Jones, Christie’s senior writer, of the artist’s iconic Liz. ‘He took what he saw around him and turned it into high art — he really became the defining voice of a generation.’
Andy Warhol (1928-1987), Liz, 1964. Signed and dated ‘Andy Warhol 64’ (on the overlap). Acrylic and silkscreen inks on canvas. 40 x 40 in. (101.6 x 101.6 cm.) Estimate: $10,000,000-15,000,000. This work is offered in the Post-war and Contemporary art Evening Sale on 10 May at Christie’s in New York
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Created in 1964, Warhol’s portrait of Elizabeth Taylor reflects the artist’s fascination with female celebrity. ‘He started off like a besotted teenager, looking at Liz from afar,’ Jones explains. ‘It was only really later in life that he met her and they became good friends, corresponding right up until his death.’
Previously unknown, the portrait was sourced from a publicity still for one of Elizabeth Taylor's movies. After it had been tightly cropped, Warhol then silkscreened the image, using the technique he'd developed, onto a canvas.
‘It’s really moving towards the iconic method that Warhol developed in the early 1960s, and with which he made his name,’ adds Jones. ‘It’s an exciting addition to what’s probably one of Warhol’s most famous series of paintings.’
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