After Andy Warhol
(American, 1928-1987)
An Andy Warhol signed Reigning Queens advertisement, circa 1985
offset printing in colors on newsprint
Lot is comprised of four (on three sheets) full color offset advertisements on newsprint pulled from possibly Warhol's Interview magazine, for the Andy Warhol Reigning Queens exhibition at Leo Castelli Gallery (September 1985 to October 1985). The image of Queen Elizabeth II is boldly signed Andy Warhol in black marker across the lower text margin. The other three Queens in the series are Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland.
17 x 11in (43 x 28cm)
Footnote Warhol's Reigning Queens was shown at the Leo Castelli Gallery in New York City from September 1985 to October 1985.
The Reigning Queens portfolio was created in 1985 and has become highly collectable over the years since its issue, the most valuable print being the portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. Tate holds an edition of the portfolio which includes sixteen prints made up of four images of each of the four female monarchs who were ruling in the world at the time of publication: Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland. Warhol also made paintings of each of these subjects. The works were based on official or media photographs of the monarchs. For example, Queen Elizabeth’s portrait was taken from a photo by Peter Grugeon in 1977 for her Silver Jubilee.
The Reigning Queens series brings together many of Warhol’s central themes – celebrity, portraiture, consumerism, decoration and the extremes of social hierarchy. Warhol’s portraits are often about the public face or surface image, which is a typical example. Here the queen’s face appears as an impenetrable mask. Warhol enhances the celebrity portrait’s powerful iconic presence through the repetition of the image.

Unframed. Normal toning to the newsprint; minor edge tears, chipping and repair present, yet all remain very good overall.