Andy Warhol

Gift of the artist to the present owner

This work is in very good condition overall. There is light evidence of wear and handling along the edges most notably rubbing to the pigment on the upper corners of the canvas and some hairline craquelure at the pull margins with pinpoint unobtrusive spots of loss. The canvas is lightly soiled and there are several brown accretions scattered throughout the yellow painted areas. Under very close inspection, a pinpoint spot of loss is visible in the lower left flower, at the top of its upper left petal. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed.
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.

"None of us were hippies or flower children. Instead, we used to goof on it. We were into black leather and vinyl...There was nothing flower power about that. So when Warhol and that whole scene made Flowers, it reflected the urban, dark, death side of that whole movement. And as decorative art, it’s pretty dense. There is a lot of depth in there. You have this shadowy dark grass, which is not pretty, and then you have these big, wonderful, brightly colored flowers. It was always that juxtaposition that appears in his art again and again that I particularly love.”

Ronnie Cutrone in John O’ Connor and Benjamin Liu, Eds., Unseen Warhol, New York 1996, p. 61