May 16, 2019
Warhol's Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands reframed in our studio
Andy Warhol is the undisputed master of Pop Art and Frames and Stretchers recently had the opportunity to frame 3 works by the superstar artist. His portrait of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is in his signature silkscreen portrait style. The other two are a pair of his later abstracts. All three came from collectors who had them previously framed. The royal portrait was a simple matter of re-hinging and reassembling the frame. The abstracts, however, offered the opportunity for us to design a stunning steel frame. Each piece was hinged on archival cotton rag mat board and the abstract pieces were protected behind Optium Museum Plexiglass.
One of the abstract prints framed and a detail of the steel molding with detail
Warhol began his career in commercial art during the 1950s and this likely contributed to his interest in popular culture. Along with his famous soup cans and Brillo boxes, he screen printed numerous celebrity portraits. Some of the most famous include Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Elvis Presley, and Chairman Moa. The piece we worked on is from a signed edition and part of his "Reigning Queens" series created in 1985. The others in the series are Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland. A collector who's recently moved to New York from the Netherlands asked us to refresh this piece that was originally framed in the UK.
The two abstract prints installed by Art Delivery Van
During the 80s Warhol also produced a group of abstract screen prints. Although not quite as iconic as his pop art portraits they demonstrate the artist's diversity. Many of these works were included in the recent Warhol retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art. After we framed this pair of prints in custom brushed steel frames we entrusted them to our partners at Art Delivery Van. The team then transported and installed them in the happy collector's home.