Goethe

Warhol was obsessed with fame and celebrities. The artist was drawn to the glamour and glitz of the celebrity world and was known for hosting iconic parties in his New York studio, The Factory, where he would invite all the hottest stars for hedonistic nights of dancing, drinking and socialising. Although Warhol produced many portraits of the celebrities he was so enamoured with, such as Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley, the artist also produced portraits of famous historical figures like Chairman Mao, Beethoven and various American presidents. The Goethe collection can be seen alongside this tradition of portraits which transform important, intellectual figures into Pop Art icons. By presenting Goethe, a figure of the classical past, as a present day star, Warhol explores how mass media can alter public perception of reality.

Throughout the collection, Warhol abstracts Goethe’s image from the context of the original painting which the print is based on by removing the landscape’s background and focusing instead on the sitter’s profile. Warhol often abstracts his sitters from the contexts in which they are conventionally captured or seen. This artistic technique, which is also used in Ten Portraits Of Jews, is a means for Warhol to explore the tension between photographic representation and abstraction.

In terms of colour choice, Warhol intentionally uses contrasting colours in the prints and Goethe’s large hat often stands out dramatically against a lighter coloured backdrop. The bright colours flatten the original image and Warhol’s style here blends elements of realism with abstraction. Goethe himself was fascinated by colour and published The Theory of Colours in 1810. Goethe was curious about the effects of colour and the ways different colours were perceived by humans. Warhol’s experimentation with and playful use of colour in this collection can be seen as an extension of Goethe’s own interest in the philosophy of colour.

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