Andy Warhol 1928-1987
Mao (F&S II.90) introduces Warhol’s ten-part portfolio with a direct reference to the widely circulated photographic portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong. Warhol sourced the image from the Little Red Book, using it not to glorify or critique but to examine how visual repetition functions in both political propaganda and commercial advertising. The print marks Warhol’s first major use of political iconography in his printmaking practice and sets the tone for the remaining works in the portfolio. As with his celebrity portraits, Warhol reduces Mao’s identity to an image—reproducible, malleable, and stripped of context. The edition is presented in excellent condition with full authenticity guaranteed.
Provenance
Printer: Styria Studio, Inc., New York
Publisher: Castelli Graphics and Multiples, Inc., New York