Colored Mona Lisa
ArtistAndy Warhol
Year1963
MediumSilkscreen inks and graphite on canvas
MovementPop art
Dimensions208.6 cm × 319.7 cm (82.1 in × 125.9 in)
LocationPrivate collection

Colored Mona Lisa is a painting created by the American artist Andy Warhol in 1963. The painting, which depicts Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, sold for $56.2 million at Christie's in 2015.[1]

History

Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa has become one of the most recognizable paintings in the world since it was created in 1503.[2] In 1963, the painting made a rare voyage across the Atlantic from Paris for exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.[3]

Andy Warhol, the leading artist of the pop art movement, was an enthusiast of pop culture. In response to the US tour of the Mona Lisa, Warhol created his own multicolored depiction, Colored Mona Lisa.[4] It is an early example of his prowess of inextricably linking high art and consumer culture.[2] Metropolitan Museum of Art curator Henry Geldzahler came up with the idea for the painting and the work's source image was taken from a brochure published by the museum.[4]

In May 2015, Warhol's painting sold for $56.2 million at Christie's Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale, surpassing its high estimate of $35 million.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Duray, Dan (2015-05-14). "Christie's Brings in $658.5 M. at Contemporary Art Sale, With an $81.9 M. Rothko in Front". ARTnews.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-15. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  2. ^ a b "Mona Lisa Takes New York". Christie's. April 24, 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-04-20. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  3. ^ Wexelman, Alex (November 16, 2018). "When Jackie Kennedy Brought the Mona Lisa to America, Paris Rioted". Artsy. Archived from the original on 2019-05-08. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
  4. ^ a b "Smile On: How the ultimate Pop icon conquered the US". Christie's. Archived from the original on 2015-04-29. Retrieved 2021-10-04.
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