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The New Spirit (Donald Duck) is a screenprint by Andy Warhol from his 1985 Ads portfolio. This piece features Donald Duck, originally from a 1942 animated short by Walt Disney...
The New Spirit (Donald Duck) is a screenprint by Andy Warhol from his 1985 Ads portfolio. This piece features Donald Duck, originally from a 1942 animated short by Walt Disney Productions that encouraged Americans to pay their taxes to support the military during World War II. In the Ads series, Warhol uses his artwork as a “mirror,” reflecting the profound influence of mass media on contemporary culture. The New Spirit highlights this effect through a government marketing strategy. The print centres on the iconic cartoon character Donald Duck, portrayed in four mirrored reflections. The dynamic composition is accentuated by Donald Duck’s animated stride across the poster. Warhol employs vibrant organic lines in blue and green to define Donald Duck’s figure, showcasing an evolution in his screenprinting technique from the more mechanical style of his early works, such as the Campbell’s Soup series. Donald Duck, with a broomstick over his shoulder, nods to Disney’s Fantasia, which had been released three years prior to The New Spirit. The print’s bright, contrasting colours and softer, crayon-like lines infuse a modern vibrancy into the historical image. Warhol’s use of saturated colours transforms this 42-year-old propaganda image of Donald Duck into a pop icon of the 1980s, a decade that celebrated Disney’s art. Through this reimagining, Warhol emphasises the enduring cultural impact of Disney's characters.