Bidspirit auction | ANDY WARHOL (Pittsburgh, 1928 -

ANDY WARHOL (Pittsburgh, 1928 - New York, 1987) - Mao Tse Tung – Invitation (Castelli) (1972) - Offset print on paper, hand-signed in black marker. Dimensions: 17.5 × 35 cm. Signed at the bottom. Folded cardstock invitation, published by Multiples and Castelli Graphics, New York, for the exhibition Mao Tse Tung by Andy Warhol, with prints by Styria Studio. Inspired by President Nixon's historic visit to China in 1972, Warhol created this image based on the official portrait of Mao Zedong, leader of the Communist Revolution and founder of the People's Republic of China in 1949. Although a controversial figure, Mao was held responsible for the modernization of the country and significant social reforms. Warhol draws parallels between Chinese propaganda and the American media, comparing Mao to Western movie stars. Thus, he portrays him in the same iconic key as celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley, highlighting his features with minimal details and applying a characteristic touch of color - such as the indigo hue on the face - that turns the portrait into an unmistakable pop image. Includes certificate of provenance from the gallery.