Detail of Andy Warhol, Portrait of Princess Diana, (1982).
Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Phillips
Auction of the Week: Andy Warhol’s Portrait of Princess Diana Fetches over $3 Million
Sold at Phillips, the 1982 canvas was inspired by the royal’s engagement photos by Lord Snowdon
In a star-studded sale by Phillips on March 7, Andy Warhol’s vibrant work of the late peoples’ princess has sold for nearly $3.1 million, surpassing its expected price range of $1.5 million to $2.3 million. The lot featured an array of pieces by art giants including Damien Hirst, Kehinde Wiley, and Cecily Brown, but it was Warhol’s 1982 work Portrait of Princess Diana that truly stole the show.
“Andy Warhol’s Portrait of Princess Diana commanded the spotlight, selling after a four-minute bidding war for the highest price achieved for a Princess Diana work by the artist,” Olivia Thornton, Phillips’ Head of 20th Century and Contemporary Art in Europe, said in a statement.
Andy Warhol, Portrait of Princess Diana, (1982). Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Phillips
Known for his portraiture of famous figures in film, music, and television set against vibrant canvases, this work depicts the late Princess on a plain blue backdrop (the same hue as his famed 1964 work, Jackie). Donning a royal jewelry set of earrings and necklace, Diana’s regal expression and posture in the artwork mirrors her and Prince Charles’s engagement photos taken by Lord Snowden. This work is one of a number of portraits the Pop-art artist dedicated to Diana, where others feature different backdrops featuring greens and purples.
Among other impressive pieces include Wiley’s 2008 piece Christian Martyr Tarcisius, which set a world auction record, fetching $842,670, as well as Yayoi Kusama’s 2008 work INFINITY-NETS (ZXSSAO), which sold for nearly $2.7 million.
Cover: Detail of Andy Warhol, Portrait of Princess Diana, (1982).
Photo: Courtesy of the artist and Phillips
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