Title: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom 336
Medium: Screenprint on Lenox Museum Board.
Year: 1985
Size: 39 3/8″ x 31 1/2″
Edition: Edition of 40, signed and numbered in pencil.
Andy Warhol created Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom 336 as part of the 1985 Reigning Queens portfolio.. Warhol’s intense pop art rendering of Queen Elizabeth is an exhibition of female empowerment. This print is the most recognizable and desired for the use of bright, vivid colors and his classic color blocking technique. Employing an eye catching fuchsia for the background Warhol draws attention to the subject and illuminates her gold crown and jewelry, a symbol of her power. Warhol’s portrait shows Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in her own right as a reigning monarch, rather than as a woman married to and represented by a king. The portfolio consists of sixteen screenprints featuring reigning monarchs from around the world. Also included in this portfolio are Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Ntombi Twala of Swaziland. The message of female empowerment and the recognizable subject matter draws collectors to this portfolio.
