Mao (F. & S. II.90)
Mao (F. & S. II.90)
Signed Print
Andy Warhol
£30,000-£45,000 VALUE (EST.)
$60,000-$90,000 VALUE (EST.)
$50,000-$80,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥260,000-¥390,000 VALUE (EST.)
€35,000-€50,000 VALUE (EST.)
$290,000-$440,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥5,210,000-¥7,810,000 VALUE (EST.)
$35,000-$60,000 VALUE (EST.)
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
Screenprint, 1972
Signed Print Edition of 250
H 91cm x W 91cm
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2022 | Phillips New York - United States | Mao (F. & S. II.90) - Signed Print | |||
| March 2022 | Christie's New York - United States | Mao (F. & S. II.90) - Signed Print | |||
| May 2021 | Cornette de Saint Cyr Brussels - Belgium | Mao (F. & S. II.90) - Signed Print | |||
| December 2019 | Sotheby's New York - United States | Mao (F. & S. II.90) - Signed Print | |||
| November 2019 | Sotheby's Milan - Italy | Mao (F. & S. II.90) - Signed Print | |||
| April 2018 | Sotheby's New York - United States | Mao (F. & S. II.90) - Signed Print | |||
| March 2017 | Christie's London - United Kingdom | Mao (F. & S. II.90) - Signed Print |
Meaning & Analysis
Taken from his renowned Mao series from 1972, Mao (F. & S. II.90) is a print by Andy Warhol that features a striking portrait of the Chinese communist leader Chairman Mao Zedong. The print contrasts blue hues in Mao’s face and tunic against a green background, that seeps into his eyes and Warhol has deliberately created imperfections with the ink.
Warhol’s use of colour in this print works within the aesthetic of Western kitsch and alludes to the appearance of makeup on Mao’s face. Light purple is added to enhance the lips of the statesman and his darkly coloured mole is reminiscent of Marylin Monroe’s beauty mark. In the suggestion of makeup and use of fluorescent colours, Warhol makes a statement on the false veneer that the original propaganda image attempts to portray and at the same time revitalises Chairman Mao as an unlikely Pop icon to be distributed as an image in the mass-media.
Relying on his typical method of screen printing with the aim of mass-production, Warhol reflects the wide distribution of Mao’s image in communist China whilst also comparing this to the obsessive production of mass-media images in capitalist America. The result is a humorous social commentary on these opposing systems of power during the political tensions of the Cold War.
