Buy Andy Warhol Gertrude Stein ( F & S. ii 227)

Andy Warhol’s Ten Portraits of Jews of the 20th Century portfolio is a 1980 series of ten prints. This is a portrait of the eponymous muse Gertrude Stein. Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. She played an incredibly important role in the art and intellectual scene in Paris, hosting a salon where the leading Modernist figures would meet, such as Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, and Ernest Hemingway. The series marks a change in Warhol’s usual portrait subject matter of celebrities, such as Mick Jagger or Marilyn Monroe. However, his use of a different kind of socially significant subject matter exemplifies a change in Warhol’s artistic practice and inspiration behind this series.   However, while this series goes beyond the world of celebrity, it is evident that Warhol was still fascinated by the system of stardom that defined his subjects.

The screen print depicts an appropriation of a well-known image of Stein. The eye can see a faint photograph-like detailing of the sitter’s face. However, this is overpowered by strong, geometric blocks of blue, red and green, that are interwoven throughout the print. Above these blocks of colour Warhol has hand drawn the basic details of her nose, eyes, and mouth, turning this portrait into more of a sketch than a screenprint. Warhol abstracts Stein's classic historical shot, giving it new dimensions of significance by employing vibrant, flattened colours, referring to the concept of abstraction and transforming the writer into a Pop Art icon. The division between sitter and surface serves as a visual element to tie the pictures together, but the series also has a conceptual connection. Warhol's determination that the people be deceased imbues the series with an unavoidable sense of death. The dead's faces appear to be hidden beneath a contemporary facade. As individuals, they belong in the past, yet their image endures in the present. The friction that exists between image and abstraction highlights the question of their notoriety. Warhol depicts these people's popularity as a complicated transformation by probing the fault lines between them and their carefully produced, surface appearance. The actual has been converted into a gorgeous, dramatic, and otherworldly abstraction.

Buy Andy Warhol Gertrude Stein (F & S II 227)

Andipa Editions, as part of Andipa, have been at the forefront of the Warhol market for over 20 years. To enquire about buying  Gertrude Stein (F & S II 227)  by Andy Warhol, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371.

Sell Gertrude Stein (F & S II 227) by Andy Warhol

With a global network of active buyers, Andipa Editions are the place to sell your Gertrude Stein (F & S II 227) print. Straight-forward and stress-free, we manage the process on your behalf and help to maximise your return. For a complimentary valuation of your Gertrude Stein (F & S II 227) print, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371. Explore our collection of Andy Warhol original prints for sale.