Red Lenin

Private collection.

Synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink on canvas.

One of the last works of Warhol, where the master switched from closely “viewing” and replicating celebrities of his time to world-famous politicians. Even though Warhol’s art is precise, it’s immediately noticeable that the author accurately and even sharply grasped the essence of the portrait. The leader’s face looks like an icon – it’s absolutely in the style of Warhol when he performed an idealized image. The picture becomes a specific formula, a stamp because the most recognizable details are left – an elongated face with pursed lips and a stern look. Ilyich is immersed in himself, self-confident as if reproducing some important thoughts. The fiery red background was not chosen by chance – it is a symbol of the red revolution. However, the background associated with the blood in which the Bolsheviks drowned the country is perceived more dramatically, like red terror. The work belonged to Boris Berezovsky, who handed it over to Christie’s auction – it again went to a private collection for $ 202 thousand. Interestingly, a grim version of the picture, “Black Lenin”, was almost half the price.