Andy Warhol Edward Kennedy Deluxe Edition (F & S II.241) For Sale

Edward Kennedy is a screenprint published by Warhol in 1980. It is a portrait of Edward Kennedy, the democratic senator and member of the Kennedy  family. This deluxe version features Kennedy against the backdrop of the American flag and is layered with diamond dust.

In the portrait, Kennedy appears serious and unsmiling, dressed in formal attire. In the broader context of Warhol’s work, it forms part of his commissions requested by prominent politicians and public figures: he also did portraits of Jimmy Carter and George McGovern. This work was made to raise funds for the democratic campaign, and is quite rare as it was originally made for donors.  

Edward Kennedy stands apart from Warhol’s other portraits of political figures because of Edward’s stature as a member of the Kennedys. Notably Warhol created a series of works of Jackie Kennedy and the subject of John F Kennedy’s assassination: embedded in the American psyche, the family were at the intersection between politics and celebrity because of their fame.