Andy Warhol

Luciano Pistoi, Turin
Acquired directly from the above by the present owner

Ferrara, Piazza dei Diamante, Andy Warhol: Ladies and Gentlemen, 1975, p. 195, illustrated in colour

 

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate, although the overall tonality is more vibrant with more fuchsia highlights in the original. Condition: This work is in very good condition. Close inspection reveals hairline cracks in places to the overturn edge, and a faint feather crack to the right of the face. No restoration is apparent 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."

Ladies and Gentlemen is one of the most visually arresting examples of Andy Warhol’s seminal series of the same name. Created in 1975 at the prompting of the art dealer Luciano Anselmino, the series can be considered an artistic tour de force, enabling Warhol to display his remarkable ability to improvise with paint as well as highlighting his mastery of the silkscreen technique. Ladies and Gentlemen encompassed themes of gender disorientation and sexual identity that were of abiding interest to the artist, as his series of self-portraits in drag indicates: adorned with a bouffant blonde wig, red lipstick and false eyelashes he would present a confident face to the world in the manner of Man Ray’s 1920s photographs of Rrose Sélavy, the female alter-ego of Marcel Duchamp. Warhol was fascinated by the work of Man Ray, whose portrait he had painted in 1974, and owned an extensive collection of his photographs; Ladies and Gentlemen and the Self-Portraits in Drag can thus be seen as the direct heirs to the concept of masculinity choosing to hide beneath a teasing cloak of femininity that the images of Rrose Sélavy epitomised so effectively.

Bob Colacello recalled the creation of the Ladies and Gentlemen series: "I found most of the models at the Gilded Grape. We would ask them to pose for 'a friend' for $50 per half hour. The next day, they’d appear at the Factory and Andy, whom we never introduced by name, would take their Polaroids. And the next time we saw them at the Gilded Grape, they invariably would say, “Tell your friend I do a lot more for fifty bucks'" (Bob Colacello, Holy Terror, Andy Warhol Close Up, New York 1990, p. 228). Even though the models for the series remained nameless, the poses appear to indicate pride and genuine enjoyment, as the subjects relished the rare opportunity to display their carefully prepared maquillage and magnificent wigs to a flatteringly interested audience. As Vincent Fremont remembered: "After the photo session, I would hand the subjects a… check and send them over to the bank. Usually they would not have any identification, so the bank would call me and ask if I knew a Helen or a Harry Morales! I do not remember if they knew who Andy was, but the photo sessions were wonderful for every one of them. They were able to do their favourite poses and act glamorous for Andy's camera" (Vincent Fremont in: Exhibition Catalogue, Madrid, La Casa Encendida, Warhol on Warhol, 2007, p. 138).

The present work is undoubtedly one of the most visually impressive examples of the series. The variations of colour are truly striking: the darkness of the black background contrasts dramatically with the bright yellow of the high collared dress and the shocking pink highlights within the flowing tresses of the wig. Vivid, electric blue encircling the eyes accentuates the profusion of false eyelashes; in a playful touch, Warhol has even highlighted the curves of the vibrantly red lips in the same tone. A remarkable exercise in painterly control, extensive brushstrokes adorn the canvas: a magnificent sweep of yellow follows the contours of the subject’s body, intermingling with the layers of darker background pigment to create a paint surface that is almost three-dimensional in its tactility. It is as though Warhol has placed his subject in the glare of an ultraviolet light within a haunt such as the Gilded Grape, arrested in the process of turning to gaze upon the viewer. The lift of the head is proud, the expression almost disdainful, imbuing the subject with a sense of immense dignity despite the lurid colour tones. Warhol’s Ladies and Gentlemen ultimately succeeds in transcending the confines of gender, elevating the drag queen to the status of true New York icon, a powerful symbol of a city in which creativity and diversity remain inextricably linked.