Andy Warhol

The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Inc., New York

Georg Frei and Neil Printz, The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné, Paintings and Sculpture 1965-1969, Vol. II B, New York 2004, p. 330, nos. 2000 and 2001, illustrated in colour

Colours: The colours are fairly accurate in the catalogue illustration. Condition: Both works are in very good condition and no restoration is apparent under ultraviolet light. (i) There is a tiny pin size spot of wear to the top right and bottom left extreme corner tips. (ii) There is fine hairline tension cracking in places along all four overturn edges. There is extremely minor wear to the extreme corner tips. There is a minute pin size spot of paint loss to the centre of the top overturn edge.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In 1967 renowned New York art dealer Sidney Janis commissioned a portrait based on a series of family photographs, much like Warhol's portrait of Robert Rauschenberg five years earlier. The Janis portrait, consisting of eight 8 x 8 inch canvases arranged horizontally in two rows of four, presents a visual transition through time with each row ending in a recent image of the dealer (fig. 1).

In creating the commission Warhol experimented with several different colour variations for each image. Of the four canvases he made of the youthful Janis in profile, three (including the present two) were made using 'Hooker's green mixed with yellow'. The one included in the final eight-part composition, (which was donated by Janis along with the rest of his collection to the Museum of Modern Art, New York) contains the duskier 'chromium oxide' green.