Watermelon (F. & S. II.199)
Watermelon (F. & S. II.199)
Signed Print
Andy Warhol
£13,500-£20,000 VALUE (EST.)
$25,000-$40,000 VALUE (EST.)
$23,000-$35,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥120,000-¥180,000 VALUE (EST.)
€16,000-€23,000 VALUE (EST.)
$130,000-$200,000 VALUE (EST.)
¥2,350,000-¥3,490,000 VALUE (EST.)
$17,000-$25,000 VALUE (EST.)
This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
Screenprint, 1979
Signed Print Edition of 150
H 76cm x W 102cm
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Auction Results
| Auction Date | Auction House | Artwork | Hammer Price | Return to Seller | Buyer Paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2020 | Germann Auctions - Switzerland | Watermelon (F. & S. II.199) - Signed Print | |||
| February 2020 | Rago Arts and Auction Center - United States | Watermelon (F. & S. II.199) - Signed Print | |||
| October 2017 | Sotheby's New York - United States | Watermelon (F. & S. II.199) - Signed Print | |||
| April 2013 | Phillips New York - United States | Watermelon (F. & S. II.199) - Signed Print | |||
| February 2006 | Christie's New York - United States | Watermelon (F. & S. II.199) - Signed Print |
Meaning & Analysis
The screen print Watermelon (F. & S. II.199)by Andy Warhol focuses on a highly-stylized oblong watermelon. The green fruit sits on the left side of the canvas while a large purple shadow extends off the right edge of the frame. Warhol’s overdrawing gives detail to the fruit, which would otherwise be unrecognizable but for its unique oblong shape. Warhol rarely produced still lives, making this rendition unique in his oeuvre. The red rectangular background color patches give the appearance of paper, making the image appear to be almost a collage. Their off-kilter alignment gives a sense of whimsy and movement to the very static genre of still life.
Watermelonis the only example of a single fruit in Warhol’s 1979 series Space Fruit. The series, a collaboration with printmaker Rupert Jasen Smith, uses extreme lighting to cast long shadows over fruit which are then screen printed with overdrawing. In the larger series, Warhol experimented with the colour wheel. This image demonstrates both complimentary colours with the red and green, and analogous colours with red, purple, and pink. The medium, use of long shadows, and experimentation with the colour wheel all work to give this watermelon still life an other-worldly effect.
