An iconic Andy Warhol print from the ‘Ads’ series, one of only 30 artist’s proofs, will lead Roseberys’ Prints & Multiples auction on Wednesday 9 April. The print depicts a bottle of Chanel No. 5, an image that is now central to Warhol’s oeuvre given its association with Marilyn Monroe. Estimated at £180,000-£200,000, it is expected to attract strong bidder attention in Roseberys’ Prints & Multiples auction on Wednesday 9 April.
The ‘Ads’ series, produced in 1985, saw Warhol revisit his earlier work in commercial illustration, leveraging the visual language of advertising to make a statement about consumerism and the power of branding. Warhol presented advertising images from ubiquitous contemporary brands, including Blackglama, Disney and Volkswagen, eliminating the distinction between high and “low” art and calling into question the kinds of images we consider to be worthy of artistic representation. Chanel is appropriated from a 1960s magazine advert for the perfume.
“The market for editioned proofs by Warhol is particularly robust and we are delighted to bring this historic print to market. It’s an iconic image that encapsulates Warhol’s singular Pop vision of 20th century modernity,” said Ed Plackett, Head of Prints & Multiples at Roseberys.
Lot 237: Manolo Valdés, Spanish b. 1942- Cabeza, 1991
Further highlights from the sale include an etching with unique colour collage by Spanish Artist Manolo Valdés, estimated at £3,000-£5,000. From his Cabeza series, it depicts a faceless archetype, hand-embellished with collage in the manner of Cubist inanimate object collages of Juan Gris and Georges Braques.
Lot 48: Ramon Casas y Carbo, Spanish 1866-1932, Pel & Ploma, 1899
Spanish Modern prints are well-represented in the sale, with two standout works by Ramón Casas y Carbó and Picasso offered. Casas was a master poster maker in Spain and a pioneer of Catalan Modernisme, the Spanish equivalent of Art Nouveau. The poster is based on his famous oil painting Decadent young woman, After the dance (1899), held in the Museum of Montserrat. It was produced for the fin de siècle Catalan youth magazine Pèl y Ploma, a Spanish equivalent to The Yellow Book depicted in the original oil. A young Pablo Picasso was a key contributor to the publication prior to his move to Paris. The work comes from a French Private collection and is estimated at £3,000-£5,000.
Lot 50: Pablo Picasso, Spanish 1881-1973, Femme Debout Entourée De Quatre Hommes Barbus, c.1967
A Picasso etching and aquatint, from the Private Collection of Amsterdam gallerist Dr Lennart Booij, is estimated at £3,000-£5,000. Stamp signed in pen and numbered 35/50 in pencil, it depicts a woman surrounded by four men, likely in a brothel, recalling earlier works such as Les Demoiselles d’Avignon. It is noted in Bernhard Geiser and Brigitte Baer Catalogue Raisonné.
Selected works from the sale
Other highlights include works by Banksy, Harland Miller, Jonas Wood and Tracey Emin, along with prints by Laurence Stephen Lowry, John Piper, Henry Moore and Sir Terry Frost. Contemporary names like David Hockney, Damien Hirst, David Shrigley, Takashi Murakami, and KAWS complete the sale.
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