Mao
Andy Warhol modeled his now-iconic portraits of Mao Zedong off of the official state portrait of the Chinese Communist leader. Using silkscreen printing, Warhol was able to produce many versions of the portrait, changing only the color palette. Warhol’s Mao transformed a serious portrait of a world leader into a provocatively playful and colorful image, with some renditions depicting Mao wearing eyeshadow, blush, or lipstick. It was Warhol’s longtime dealer, Bruno Bischofberger, who first suggested that he create a portrait of the most important figure of the 20th century. Fascinated by fame and celebrity culture, Warhol had recently read in Life magazine that Mao Zedong was the most famous person in the world, making him an appealing subject. Mao is among Warhol’s most popular portraits: The auction record for the work is $47.5 million, sold at Sotheby’s in 2015.
Series by this artist
- Campbell’s Soup Cans168 available
- Marilyn Monroe146 available
- Advertisements90 available
- Mick Jagger72 available
- Ladies and Gentlemen71 available
- Shoes67 available
- Celebrity Portraits65 available
- Mao58 available
- Cowboys and Indians55 available
- Reigning Queens54 available
- Endangered Species53 available
- Sex Parts and Torsos51 available
- Myths50 available
- Polaroids48 available
- Illustrations45 available
- Jean-Michel Basquiat39 available
- Death and Disaster35 available
- Electric Chairs32 available
- Dollar Sign29 available
- Brillo Boxes25 available
- Tomato Soup24 available
- Details of Renaissance Paintings23 available
- Bananas23 available
- Leonardo da Vinci22 available
- Wild Raspberries22 available
- Athletes22 available
- Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom21 available
- Space Fruit20 available
- Camouflage19 available
- Lenin19 available
- Halston19 available
- Committee 200018 available
- Martha Graham17 available
- Muhammad Ali16 available
- Dancers16 available
- Saint Apollonia15 available
- Shadows15 available
- After the Party14 available
- Mona Lisa14 available
- Dollar Bills14 available
- Hammer and Sickle14 available
- Poinsettias13 available
- Grace Jones12 available
- Cats Name Sam12 available
- Mickey Mouse12 available
- Jacqueline Kennedy12 available
- Howdy Doody12 available
- Interview Magazine11 available
- General Custer11 available
- Blackglama11 available