Andy Warhol

Private Collection, New York
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Exhibition Catalogue, Offenbach am Main, Die Galerie, Berrocal, 1987, p. 190, illustrated in colour

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is brighter and more vibrant in the original. The catalogue illustration fails to convey the metallic qualities of the gold and silver paint and the glittery and textural quality of the diamond dust. Condition: This work is in very good condition. There is a very small rub mark towards the upper left edge and minor rubbing along the extreme lower right edge towards the bottom right corner. No restoration is apparent under ultra-violet 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."

Andy Warhol's radiating Miguel Berrocal is a fabulously rich portrait of the grand Spanish sculptor Miguel Ortiz Berrocal who first visited Warhol's studio in 1981.  Hearing tales of the legendary Warhol across the Atlantic, Berrocal travelled to New York City in 1981 for his exhibition at the Arnold Katzen Gallery and on the same visit had Warhol execute a portrait, the first one in silver.  In 1983 on another trip, the present work was created, this time in a lavish and radiating gold.

Miguel Berrocal, with its glowing gold background, presents Berrocal's image as an icon for our contemplation and reverence.  Since Byzantine and Medieval times, gold was the background for depictions of saints, holy figures and rulers.  In similar fashion, Berrocal is presented to the viewer as an object to be adored.  Gold becomes a context and a reference for the image, imbued with contradictory effects: its religious, transcendent immateriality combines with industrial metallicism.  The choice of this particular colour is also coincidentally referential to the medium Berrocal used himself - he made exquisite, shiny and smooth sculptures out of various metals.  This luminous metallic effect is simulated by Warhol's own technique of applying diamond dust to the surface of the canvas.  The portrait is subtly illuminated by the element of the diamond dust, contrasting dramatically with the black inky areas creating an effervescent and magical quality to the work.  Berrocal is portrayed as a strong yet sophisticated individual.  His dark brooding eyes gaze intently out confronting the viewer and he has a sly smile ever so slightly playing on his lips.  His strong, dark Spanish features are translated well through the silkscreen with the black of his eyebrows and slick dark hair.  He is wearing a classic black dinner jacket, which has wonderful texture and presents him almost as a movie star.  Elegantly positioned, leaning on one arm and smoking a cigar, Berrocal is transformed from artist to icon, an angle Warhol often sought in creating his portraits.  Here, Warhol presents Berrocal as celebrity - in a fashion true to his portraiture.

The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has in their permanent collection another version of Miguel Berrocal.  A name celebrated throughout time, Warhol has immortalised Berrocal as a person of taste and style.  Executed in Warhol's classic tradition of starting his portraits from photographs, in these years, Polaroid photographs, Warhol used his source images as the basis for the formula for his composition.  Translated through the silkscreen from photograph to portrait, Warhol, like alchemy, creates and presents us with a timeless symbol of his subject.