Warhol Screenprints Sell High At Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Jan 12th 2011 at 4:01AM

I was surprised that the screenprint portrait of Mao Zedong by Andy Warhol, with two bullet holes put there by "Easy Rider" star Dennis Hopper was only estimated at $20,000 to $30,000. To myself I speculated that it might eke out a price over $100,000. I was not even close. The work with two bullet holes sold for $302,500 at Christie's on Tuesday, more than 10 times its high estimate. The 1972 screenprint from Hopper's art collection is done in hues of mostly blues and greens. Hopper shot the artwork when startled one night. He showed Warhol the bullet holes, and the pair agreed to consider the work a collaboration. Warhol drew circles around the holes, labeling the one over Mao's right shoulder "warning shot" and the one at his upper left eyelid "bullet hole." Another famous Warhol screenprint from 1967 of Marilyn Monroe fetched $206,500, or about four times the pre-sale estimate.

Tags: andy warhol, christies, dennis hopper, mao zedong

Filed under: Auctions, Art

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Spectacular Bid Jan 12th 2011 10:37AM

I too thought the pre-auction estimate was shocking low. While its not characteristic of Christie's and how they promote upcoming sales one can only think that they were trying to bring in more would be buyers and interest. If someone thinks a work is obtainable then the bidding will be more lively up to a point.

With this work's very unique history - Hopper and the two shots plus Warhol's counter punch of the attributions of both - it would've been shocking if it sold for under $200k. Both the buyer with getting such a history behind the work and the estate of Hopper made out on this offering.