Andy Warhol

The Estate of Andy Warhol, New York
Sale: Christie's, London, Post-War and Contemporary Art, Evening Sale, 26 June 2003, Lot 23
Acquired directly from the above by the previous owner

Colours: The colours are fairly accurate in the catalogue illustration, although the overall tonality is much brighter and more vibrant in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is a minute speck of paint loss to the top right extreme corner tip and a very faint rub mark adjacent to the top left hand corner. There is a tiny pin size spot of wear and a very faint rub mark to the centre of the lower left hand quadrant of the composition. In the lower right hand quadrant, there are two minute spots of wear. All of the above are unobtrusive and are only visible upon very close inspection. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultraviolet light.
"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."

Executed during 1986 in the months preceding his death, the present work belongs to Warhol's final and most intense series known as the 'fright-wig' self-portraits. Widely regarded as his last great artistic gesture, this luminous series of momento mori put forward the final piece in the gloriously complex puzzle that was his life, and immortalised the mysterious and enigmatic persona which he had meticulously cultivated throughout his career.

Ever since the earliest photo-booth works of 1964, self-portraits occupied a position of central importance within Warhol's work. Like Rembrant, Velazquez and countless other artists, he used self-portraiture them as a means of reflecting his social position and status. Employing a variety of props and pictorial devices like shadows and wigs to create an ever evolving landscape of the 'self', more than any other subject, his self-portraits reflect his famous comment that, "If you want to know about Andy Warhol, then just look at the surface of my pictures, my movies and me and there I am; there's nothing in between." In the present work, Warhol's body-less head emerges in negative and seems to float against the vibrant green background. As if on the brink of eternity, its up-close intensity suggests his lifelong fascination with the transience of life and an awareness of his own encroaching mortality.

More than any other artist of the 20th Century, Warhol was a public figure whose image and personality intrigued and fascinated people as much as his art. The self-portraits uniquely inhabit the territory in-between, and are crucial to our understanding of both. With this final iconic image, he concluded his development from the role of detached observer in the early 1960s to the driving force of his age and a media star in his own right.