The work “Mao” represents one of the most emblematic subjects of Andy Warhol’s serial production, created from the early 1970s onwards and developed in several chromatic variants. In this colour print, Warhol reworks the famous official portrait of Mao Zedong, transforming it into a pop icon through the use of silkscreen, a technique that allowed him to multiply and alter the image with bold chromatic interventions.
From a formal point of view, Mao’s face is constructed through flat colour fields and bright colours, with deliberately irregular overlaps that emphasize the artificial character of the image. However, behind its apparent visual simplicity, the work reflects a critical reflection on the power of political images and on their media circulation. In fact, Warhol applies the same language used for film and music stars to a symbolic figure of global ideological power.
Moreover, the choice to treat Mao as a reproducible icon highlights the central theme of Warhol’s poetics: the transformation of power into an image of consumption. At the same time, the artist’s manual intervention introduces variations that make each example visually distinct, while remaining within a defined edition.
Therefore, “Mao” stands as a key work for understanding the relationship between art, politics and mass communication in the second half of the twentieth century.
Description: Colour print on paper, bearing on the reverse Andy Warhol’s signature, edition number 62/250, Andy Warhol stamp and Andy Warhol Enterprises Inc. 1978 stamp, H cm 91×91.
Publication: Andy Warhol Prints, Feldman – Schelmann, pp. 82-83 and 352.
Hammer Price: € 17.360,00
Auction 49 – 24 November 2021 – Modern and Contemporary Art
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