Created in 1985, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom forms part of Andy Warhol’s largest print portfolio, Reigning Queens. Queen Elizabeth II is one of four female monarchs represented in the series, each of whom was ruling at the t.mes of production. The complete set of 16 works also depicts Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland. An impression of Queen Margrethe II, from the same private collects ion as the present work, is also being offered in this sale (see lot 11).
To create the image of Queen Elizabeth II, Warhol used a photograph taken by Peter Grugeon in 1975 at Windsor Castle, an image that was later released in 1977 to celebrate Her Majesty's Silver Jubilee. Freed from the constraints that govern an official commission, Warhol’s treatment of Queen Elizabeth II revels in pictorial autonomy. The bold colour palette, including the choice of hot pink seen here, demystifies the façade of the Queen. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom suggests a playful, vibrant spirit beneath the royal regalia. This characterisation appears to have been embraced by the Queen herself; in 2012, in the year of her Diamond Jubilee, the Royal collects ion acquired the set of four screenprints.
Artwork: © Derek Hudson/Getty Images
The Norwegian art historian Henriette Dedichen once remarked that Warhol’s interest in queens extends beyond the royal to that of drag queens:
“For Andy Warhol, both genuine as well as fake queens slipped into the role of idealised movie-star femininity, devoting their lives to handing down a glittering and sparkling way of life and presenting it to the public for (not all too) close inspection. Warhol admired the fame and feminine allure of royal queens just as much as he admired the courageous nerve of drag queens.”
The metaphor of a queen’s “glittering and sparkling way of life” is most aptly realised in this particular screenprint. As part of the Royal Edition, of which thirty screenprints were produced, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is embellished with ‘diamond dust,’ the dazzling ground glass that Warhol added to some of his most technically complex Pop prints.
“However Warhol had intended his portraits to be seen – as vanitas images, history paintings, or simply glamour poses – did more than any other artist to revitalize the practice of portraiture, bringing renewed attention to it in the avant-garde art world.”