ANDY WARHOL, THE WITCH (F. & S. II.261), MYTHS SERIES, SIGNED SCREEN PRINT WITH DIAMOND DUST, ON LENOX MUSEUM BOARD, 1981
The Witch is a print from Andy Warhol’s highly sought-after Myths series from 1981 that sought to explore the creation of myths in American popular culture. Warhol’s series features a range of fictional characters and icons from early film and TV, representative of the classic American childhood of the 1940s and 50s. This print shows a highly animated image of the actress Margaret Hamilton performing the character of the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz.
Warhol creates an immediately recognisable icon with this print that shows Hamilton embodying her role as the quintessential American villain, her mouth wide open and captured mid-shriek. The witch’s face is illuminated in lurid green and her jet black silhouette is outlined in bright red, set against a backdrop in night-sky blue. The resulting image is a fair more sinister version of the childhood fictional character than we may remember.
Commenting on the myth making in Old Hollywood films and Walt Disney cartoons that produce the stereotypical heroes and villains of the 20th century, Warhol’s title choice for the series is apt. Alongside Warhol’s famous portraits of the ‘heroines’ Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, and Jackie Kennedy, The Witch is the feminine anti-hero of Pop Art.
Find out more about Myths by Andy Warhol.
ABOUT ANDY WARHOL
Andy Warhol (born Andrew Warhola) is a name synonymous with the celebrity culture and mass consumerism which coloured the boulevards of New York City in the Post World War II era. Born into a working class immigrant family in the urban landscape around the bustling metropolis, Warhol’s early life was characterised by a climb up the capitalist rungs of society.
The artist himself noted, “buying is more American than thinking, and I’m as American as they come”, this quote came to demarcate Warhol’s artistic practice as he embraced the commodification of the American Dream. The Pop artist’s beginnings in the business sector gave him the practical skill set to experiment with a more commercial approach to art throughout his career, particularly with regards to screen printing. Read more about Andy Warhol.
