Leo Castelli Gallery, New York (LC #1003)
Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich
Knoedler & Company, New York
Sotheby Parke Bernet, New York, October 19, 1979, lot 131
Finn Erskov
Galeri Faurschou, Cophenhagen
Private Collection, New York
Vivian Horan Fine Art, New York
Jane Holzer, New York
Private Collection, Europe
Christie's, New York, November 14, 2007, lot 196
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale

Paris, Musée Galliera, Andy Warhol: Mao, February - March 1974

Gregory Battcock, "Andy Warhol: New Predictions for Art," Arts Magazine, vol. 48, May 1974, pp. 36 and 37, illustrated twice
Steven Bluttal and Dave Hickey, eds., Andy Warhol "Giant" Size, London, 2006, p. 503, illustrated in color
Neil Printz and Sally King-Nero, eds., The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné Paintings and Sculptures 1970-1974, Volume 03, London, 2010, cat. no. 2361, illustrate🌳d in color

This work is in very good condition overall. There is very fine scattered craquelure at the pull margins. There is a ¾ inch area of possible restoration along the upper pull margin near the upper left corner visible under raking light which does not appear to fluoresce darkly when inspected under Ultraviolet light. There are no further signs of restoration under Ultraviolet light inspection. Framed.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Warhol's idea for creating portraits of Mao Zedong, the Chinese Communist revolutionary, began, according to Bob Colacello's biography of Warhol, Holy Terror, with Bruno Bischofberger, Warhol's longtime dealer and supporter in Zurich. Bischofberger suggested that Warhol return to painting by making portraits of the most important figure of the twentieth century. Ever the enthusiast for celebrity adoration, Warhol mentioned that he had read in Life magazine that Mao Zedong was the most famous person in world at that time. The enforced ubiquity of Mao's image in China and its resemblance to a silkscreen instantly attracted Warhol. As David Bourdon notes in his Warhol biography, he thought it would be great to make paintings similar to "the same poster you can buy in a poster store."
The silkscreen image reproduced here is Mao Zedong's official portrait printed as the frontispiece in the Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung. This painting belongs to Warhol's series of Mao portraits significant for his carefree use of painterly flourishes after the passing of the silkscreen. Mao, one of th💫e more formally successful paintings in its scale, maintains Mao's visage with notable legibility, implemented through a firm silkscreening that is accompanied by two bravura gestures in which the ultramarine blue background elegantly collides with the acra red on Mao's jacket. The bold, sensuous colors and structured composition of this canvas set it apart from the other wildly꧅ expressive, pastel-hued Mao paintings from this era.