'Cologne Cathedral' by Andy Warhol, 1985
A rare litho print from the artist's 'Cologne Cathedral' suite.
Features the historic Roman Catholic Church in Cologne, Germany.
Officially licensed by the Andy Warhol Foundation.
Blue variant (FS II.362).
35.5 x 27.5 Inches
90 x 70 Centimeters
Offset lithograph print on thick, wove fine art paper.
The full sheet, printed to the edges.
Unsigned/unnumbered edition outside of the original series.
Published by teNeues Verlag Publishing Company, New York and Achenbach Art Edition, Dusseldorf.
Printed in Germany - licensing and publishing details printed along bottom edge.
*Note: Very good original condition, especially considering age. Some minor kinks and slight marks at sheet edges.
ABOUT THE ART
'Cologne Cathedral 362' by Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is part of a series that features the Roman Catholic Church in Cologne, Germany. The Cologne Cathedral is Germany’s most visited landmark and houses the reliquary of the Three Kings. The construction was left incomplete in the Middle Ages. Despite this, it symbolized a masterpiece of exceptional intrinsic value. Additionally, it represented proof of the strength of Christianity in both medieval and modern Europe.
Warhol produced these prints in different bold colors to demonstrate how a Pop image of Gothic architecture can redefine its meaning.
By taking such a religious monument to create his new series of prints, Warhol demonstrates how Pop colors can transform the structure to hold new meanings. He slightly simplifies the details of the Gothic architecture through his silkscreening process to emphasize the general beauty of the cathedral. Warhol was known to take bold risks in conveying his interpretations of religious matters.
The 'Cologne Cathedral' suite uses both color and line work to obscure and abstract the original image, making it almost unrecognizable as the cathedral and giving it an originality that is not typically seen in artistic renditions of Gothic architecture. The original 'Cologne Cathedral' complete portfolio is comprised of four screenprints with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board, including FS II. 361-364.
Based on Andy Warhol's screen print with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board, produced 2 short years before the artist's passing.