Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
DE
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Andy Warhol

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1982


Dimensions
200.0 x 210.0 cm
Physical Description
Silkscreen and acrylic on canvas
Inventory Number
LG 73
Acquisition
On permanet loan from Commerzbank AG, Frankfurt am Main since 2010
Status
On display, lower level, Contemporary Art, room 10

Texts

About the Work

Andy Warhol saw the famous portrait of Goethe by J. H. Wilhelm Tischbein during a visit to the Städel. As the quintessence of German culture, it inspired him to create this work and other prints, some of which are likewise in the Städel collection. In 1962 Warhol – a key figure of American Pop Art – began reproducing press photos of celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley with the silkscreen technique. He defamiliarised his pictorial models – images known all over the world thanks to their propagation by the media – by translating them into garish colours and bold two-dimensionality. Through the serial production of his art in his studio, which he himself referred to as a factory, the classical distinguishing features of the artist – for example subjectivity and originality – recede into the background. At the same time, by staging Goethe as the superstar of the Städel, the city of Frankfurt and German Classicism, Warhol was reflecting on how the mass media have changed our perception of reality.

Audio

  • Basic information
    01:44
  • Focus on Frankfurt
    01:52

Work Data

Basic Information

Title
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (Original Title)
Artist
Period Produced
School
Object Type
Physical Description
Silkscreen and acrylic on canvas
Material
Technique

Property and Acquisition

Institution
Departement
Collection
Creditline
Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, seit 2010 Dauerleihgabe der Commerzbank AG, Frankfurt am Main
Picture Copyright
© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
Acquisition
On permanet loan from Commerzbank AG, Frankfurt am Main since 2010

Work Content

Motifs and References

Iconclass

Primary
  • 61B2(GOETHE, Johann Wolfgang von)11(+51) historical person (GOETHE, Johann Wolfgang von) - historical person (GOETHE, Johann Wolfgang von) portrayed alone (+ head (GOETHE, Johann Wolfgang von) (GOETHE, Johann Wolfgang von))
  • 31D14 adult man
  • 41D221(HAT) head-gear: hat
  • 22C4 colours, pigments, and paints

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Last update

13.03.2024