Andy Warhol

Estate of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc., New York
Donated by Mnuchin Gallery, New York

This work is in excellent condition overall. There is a slight undulation to the sheet which is inherent to the material and the artist's working method. All four edges are deckled. The sheet is hinged verso to the matte intermittently along the edges. 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.

The drawing Still-Life (Hammer and Sickle) (1977) is part of the Hammer and Sickle series Warhol began in 1976. On a trip to Italy that year, he had encountered this emblem from the Soviet flag plastered as graffiti across the public spaces of Naples. Based on his earlier pictures of Mao, Warhol—ironically, master portrayer of the ephemera of American capitalist culture—was asked if he might himself be a Communist. Eager to produce images of the symbol on his return, he sent an assistant to locate source images; finding them too flat and graphic, he decided instead to purchase an actual hammer and sickle at a local hardware store and photograph the objects with side lighting to create a looming shadow. This “still life” became the basis of a distinctive series of paintings, drawings, and screenprints.