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Tokolosh · 11.15.2006, 11:00 AM

Andy Warhol's iconic "Mao" portrait to be auctioned
The Associated Press - Published: November 13, 2006

NEW YORK: Andy Warhol's iconic image of Mao Zedong, considered one of his most sensational pieces of the 1970s, is being offered for sale by the Swiss-based Daros Collection, owner of one of the greatest private holdings of Warhol paintings, Christie's auction house announced Monday.

"This work has the most prestigious provenance, staggering wall-power and is literally an icon of the 20th century," said Brett Gorvy, the head of postwar and contemporary art at Christie's.

Warhol took Mao out of China's propaganda machine "and creates something much more alive, much more garish in colors that has very much the Pop sensibility about it," Gorvy said.

The silk-screen portrait, measuring 81 inches (206 centimeters) by 61 inches (155 centimeters) and showing Mao in a dark blue jacket against a light blue background, is set to be auctioned at Christie's Rockefeller Center galleries as part of its evening sale of postwar and contemporary art on Wednesday. It is expected to bring between $8 million (€6.2 million) and $12 million (€9.4 million).

Warhol was not shy about cashing in on what he perceived to be the capitalist collector's fascination with China and its leader.

"Andy Warhol was in love with fame," said Gorvy. "At the moment in history, 1971-72, it was the reopening of China to the West. China was creating new relations with America. Nixon had gone over to China so Chairman Mao's image was everywhere and Warhol captured that. He understood ... that it was famous not just for that moment but famous forever."

The auction house said "Mao" constituted Warhol's first political portrait, successfully paving the way for a number of other political portraits and subjects including "Lenin" and "Hammer and Sickle."

"He chose Mao because he really was the most famous person in the world at that particular moment," said Gorvy. "He wanted to represent him as he was represented then all over China as this great icon."

The silk-screen image was derived from an official state portrait of the Communist leader on the cover of a book entitled "Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung."

It was one of a series of 10 large scale portraits Warhol made of Mao in 1972. Art experts consider "Mao" to be the best in the group.

Beside "Mao," the Wednesday auction will offer seven other Warhols from other private collections, including "Orange Marilyn" (1962), depicting Marilyn Monroe, with a presale estimate of $10 million (€7.8 million) to $15 million (€11.7 million), and "Sixteen Jackies" (1964), portraying Jacqueline Kennedy, with an estimate of $12 million (€9.4 million) to $16 million (€12.5 million).

In May, an early iconoclastic work by Warhol of a Campbell's soup can titled, "Small Torn Campbell's Soup Can (Pepper Pot)," sold for almost $11.8 million (€9.2 million) at Christie's.

The Daros Collection, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is known to focus on a small group of artists including Cy Twombly, Brice Marden, Agnes Martin and Warhol. Its Warhol collection includes "210 Coke Bottles," "Blue Liz as Cleopatra" and "AtomicBomb."

Christie's said the board of the Daros Collection was selling the "Mao" "to raise proceeds for future acquisition of prime works from the 1960s."

11.15.2006, 11:00 AM	#3
Tokolosh invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Plaza de Toros Posts: 6,731	Andy Warhol's iconic "Mao" portrait to be auctioned The Associated Press - Published: November 13, 2006 NEW YORK: Andy Warhol's iconic image of Mao Zedong, considered one of his most sensational pieces of the 1970s, is being offered for sale by the Swiss-based Daros Collection, owner of one of the greatest private holdings of Warhol paintings, Christie's auction house announced Monday. "This work has the most prestigious provenance, staggering wall-power and is literally an icon of the 20th century," said Brett Gorvy, the head of postwar and contemporary art at Christie's. Warhol took Mao out of China's propaganda machine "and creates something much more alive, much more garish in colors that has very much the Pop sensibility about it," Gorvy said. The silk-screen portrait, measuring 81 inches (206 centimeters) by 61 inches (155 centimeters) and showing Mao in a dark blue jacket against a light blue background, is set to be auctioned at Christie's Rockefeller Center galleries as part of its evening sale of postwar and contemporary art on Wednesday. It is expected to bring between $8 million (€6.2 million) and $12 million (€9.4 million). Warhol was not shy about cashing in on what he perceived to be the capitalist collector's fascination with China and its leader. "Andy Warhol was in love with fame," said Gorvy. "At the moment in history, 1971-72, it was the reopening of China to the West. China was creating new relations with America. Nixon had gone over to China so Chairman Mao's image was everywhere and Warhol captured that. He understood ... that it was famous not just for that moment but famous forever." The auction house said "Mao" constituted Warhol's first political portrait, successfully paving the way for a number of other political portraits and subjects including "Lenin" and "Hammer and Sickle." "He chose Mao because he really was the most famous person in the world at that particular moment," said Gorvy. "He wanted to represent him as he was represented then all over China as this great icon." The silk-screen image was derived from an official state portrait of the Communist leader on the cover of a book entitled "Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung." It was one of a series of 10 large scale portraits Warhol made of Mao in 1972. Art experts consider "Mao" to be the best in the group. Beside "Mao," the Wednesday auction will offer seven other Warhols from other private collections, including "Orange Marilyn" (1962), depicting Marilyn Monroe, with a presale estimate of $10 million (€7.8 million) to $15 million (€11.7 million), and "Sixteen Jackies" (1964), portraying Jacqueline Kennedy, with an estimate of $12 million (€9.4 million) to $16 million (€12.5 million). In May, an early iconoclastic work by Warhol of a Campbell's soup can titled, "Small Torn Campbell's Soup Can (Pepper Pot)," sold for almost $11.8 million (€9.2 million) at Christie's. The Daros Collection, based in Zurich, Switzerland, is known to focus on a small group of artists including Cy Twombly, Brice Marden, Agnes Martin and Warhol. Its Warhol collection includes "210 Coke Bottles," "Blue Liz as Cleopatra" and "AtomicBomb." Christie's said the board of the Daros Collection was selling the "Mao" "to raise proceeds for future acquisition of prime works from the 1960s."
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