
Andy Warhol 1928-1987
Mother and Child (F&S II.378), created in 1986, stands among the final works produced by Andy Warhol before his death the following year. The composition is derived from a Renaissance image of the Virgin Mary and Christ Child, continuing Warhol’s interest in religious iconography, historical source material, and the reinterpretation of canonical imagery through the visual language of Pop.
Although rooted in Christian art, Warhol’s treatment is characteristically detached. The original devotional image is cropped, flattened, and screen printed with the same technical approach he used for celebrities, commercial products, and politicians. The result is not an expression of sentiment but a reflection on how sacred images function within a visual economy — repeated, circulated, and recontextualised until they become surface and symbol.
This work can be seen as a quiet continuation of themes Warhol had explored earlier in The Last Supper series, particularly his interest in the tension between reverence and replication. Mother and Child distils that inquiry into a single, concise image.
The print is signed and numbered in pencil lower right and is presented in excellent condition. Full authentication and provenance available from Coskun Fine Art.
Literature
Feldman and Schellmann: II.378