Andy Warhol
Lenin, 1987 (#402/403)
1987

About the Item

Lenin (FS.IIB.402-403) is a unique trial-proof screenprint on paper, 42.62 x 30.25 inches, signed 'Andy Warhol' and numbered TP 2/46 lower left. Framed in a contemporary gold leaf, closed-corner frame. LITERATURE F. Feldman, J. Schellmann, and C. Defendi, Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné: 1962-1987, 4th ed. New York: D.A.P. Inc, 2003, pp.210 and 221, IIB.402 IIB.403 Though Warhol began his career as a fashion and children’s book illustrator, much of his later work focused on fame, consumer culture and the cult of celebrities as signifiers. In his exploration of fame, he would occasionally dip into the pool of politics and politicians. In the last year before his death in 1987, using a photograph by Philipp Schönborn, Warhol centered his attention on one of his final subjects - Vladimir Lenin. Known as one of the most influential political figures of the 20th century, Lenin was the undisputed political engineer and founder of the one-party socialist state. Lenin played a pivotal role in changing the course of Russian history, leading the Bolshevik party with the aim to transform Russia into a socialist state through Marxism. By choosing Lenin, Warhol not only references the historical significance of the Russian Revolution, but also Lenin’s integral role in it, and his continued importance in modern Marxist/Communist politics. These unique trial proofs were created using a process that involved overprinting two different colors of ink, giving the images a luminous, ghost-like quality with the colors materializing as almost neon-like. By employing the symbolic color red in its many tonal variations, these Lenin’s evoke the October Revolution and the Red Army, as well as the Red Terror, skillfully underscoring with color the haunting legacy of the Bolsheviks' spirit as well as the ruthless, repressive measures and executions enacted throughout the Civil War. As trial-proofs, these prints hold a special allure for collectors and enthusiasts, each one a completely unique art object, much more like a painting than an editioned print. Warhol’s trial-proofs are highly sought after by collectors and considered to be some of the artist’s most important works.

Creator:
Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987, American)
Creation Year:
1987
Dimensions:
Height: 52.25 in (132.72 cm)Width: 39.5 in (100.33 cm)
Medium:
Paper,Screen
Movement & Style:
Pop Art
Period:
20th Century
Condition:
generally very good condition with some interesting print flaws and handling creases from its inherent state as a test proof.
Gallery Location:
Greenwich, CT
Reference Number:
Seller: GRWAR0402TP1stDibs: LU2664213755232
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Shop All Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol

The name of American artist Andy Warhol is all but synonymous with Pop art, the movement he helped shape in the 1960s. He was phenomenally prolific, and the archive of original photography, prints, drawings, paintings and other art that he left behind is beyond vast.

Andy Warhol is known for his clever appropriation of motifs and images from popular advertising and commercials, which he integrated into graphic, vibrant works that utilized mass-production technologies such as printmaking, photography and silkscreening. Later in his career, Warhol expanded his oeuvre to include other forms of media, founding Interview magazine and producing fashion shoots and films on-site at the Factory, his world-famous studio in New York.

Born and educated in in Pittsburgh, Warhol moved to New York City in 1949 and built a successful career as a commercial illustrator. Although he made whimsical drawings as a hobby during these years, his career as a fine artist began in the mid-1950s with ink-blot drawings and hand-drawn silkscreens. The 1955 lithograph You Can Lead a Shoe to Water illustrates how he incorporated in his artwork advertising styles and techniques, in this case shoe commercials.

As a child, Warhol was often sick and spent much of his time in bed, where he would make sketches and put together collections of movie-star photographs. He described this period as formative in terms of his skills and interests. Indeed, Warhol remained obsessed with celebrities throughout his career, often producing series devoted to a famous face or an object from the popular culture, such as Chairman Mao or Campbell’s tomato soup. The 1967 silkscreen Marilyn 25 embodies his love of bright color and famous subjects.

Warhol was a prominent cultural figure in New York during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. The Factory was a gathering place for the era’s celebrities, writers, drag queens and fellow artists, and collaboration was common. To this day, Warhol remains one of the most important artists of the 20th century and continues to exert influence on contemporary creators.

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