Andy Warhol

i: Jeffrey Warhola Collection
Christie's, New York, May 10, 2006, Lot 184
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale
ii: Collection of Frederick W. Hughes
Sotheby's, New York, October 10, 2001, Lot  347
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale

i. This work is in very good condition. The surface is clean canvas is well stretched. There is evidence of a faint and unobtrusive craquelure to the extreme edges. Otherwise, there are no apparent condition problems with this work. There is no evidence of restoration visible under UV light. Framed under Plexiglas. ii: This work is in good condition. The surface is clean and the canvas is well stretched. There is evidence of a spot of inpainting, visible in the catalogue illustration, on the left of the forehead of the figure. Otherwise, there are no apparent condition problems with this work. Framed under Plexiglas.
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.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Watson Powell, Sr., was the founder of American Republic Insurance Company in Des Moines, Iowa.  The company had recently constructed a new, award winning building for its headquarters and were organizing a corporate art collection. He appointed Watson Powell, Jr., to oversee the selection of the art collection for the company.  In 1963, while visiting New York, Mr. Powell Jr. met Andy Warhol in his new studio and was intruiged by the artist's recent portrait, Ethel Scull Thirty Six Times (1963, Whitney Museum of American Art).  Soon thereafter, Mr. Powell commissioned a portrait of his father from the artist, which was to be hung in the corporate headquarters.

In the late 1940s and 1950s the growth of American business was the cause of great pride in the post war era.  The success of corporate America was the source of general prosperity, financial expansion, and worldwide influence in the post war era.  It had been a tradition for corporations to commission a portrait of their founder, but the choice of Andy Warhol as the artist for his commission resulted in a portrait with a broader scope.  Just as the likeness of Ethel Scull comments on the art collectors and art world of the early 1960s, the portraits of Watson Powell are icons of American business.