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Artworks
Andy Warhol
Alexander the Great (F & S II.292), 1982
Screenprint on Lenox Museum Board
100.3 x 100.3 cm.
39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.
39 1/2 x 39 1/2 in.
Edition of 25, 5 AP, 1 PP
Signed and numbered in pencil lower right.
Alexander the Great is a signed screenprint created in 1982 of the eponymous Greek leader, as an edition of 25. Alexander the Great was published in cooperation with the Hellenic Heritage Foundation to coincide with an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ‘The Search for Alexander’.
The screen print depicts the striking side profile of a bronze sculpture of the ancient Greek icon. The sculpture is set against a purple background, drawing out the green tones to suggest the texture of ageing copper. Warhol sketches red lines to depict Alexander’s curls, and to emphasise the most striking aspects of the sculpture, such as the eyes, nose and lips. Furthermore, Warhol adds a striking yellow line from the top to the bottom of the sculpture, adding a further layer of dynamism to the screenprint.
This screenprint stands out from Warhol’s oeuvre, as its subject matter is Warhol’s first and only Ancient icon. Warhol transforms an ancient leader into an icon akin to that of Marilyn Monroe or Mick Jagger. Through this screenprint, Warhol brings an ancient icon resolutely into the present.