Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol addresses his fascination with the extremes of social hierarchy in this series of Reigning Queens, specifically with the iconography of Queen Elizabeth II. This is the perfect example of Warhol’s ability to transform the entire medium of traditional portraiture and translate it to contemporary, political relevance.

Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was originally created in 1985 as part of a portfolio of 16 screenprints on Lenox Museum Board. It is from a limited edition series in which Warhol also featured Queen Beatrix, Queen Margrethe II, and Queen Ntombi Twala. This portrait of the Queen details Warhol’s playfulness with line and colour while also exhibiting his view on conventional portraiture. Her elegant features continue to be accented by the drawn line of Warhol’s hand while prominent pixilation of the print details elaborate shading and highlights of the portrait.

Frayda Feldman describes this series best:
“Warhol intended his portraits to be seen – as vanitas images, history paintings, or simply glamour poses – he did more than any other artist to revitalise the practice of portraiture, bringing renewed attention to it in the avant-garde art world. He reflected the desires and dreams of a new decade and expanded his cast to include the latest characters from the world of sports, television, and politics and also dramatically escalated his portrait commissions”.