Andy Warhol

[artemisia]

Perhaps knows anybody, from which statue Andy Warhol made his pictures of Alexander, and where is this statue. I couldn't found nothing in the web.

[Fiona]

Hello artemisia, I have wondered this too, because I love those pictures. Which colour do you like best? I like the gold one.
Which statue, or bust, inspired Warhol? I think it was the Acropolis one, in the museum in Athens. The reason I think this is because that bust was the star of the show at the exhibition for which Warhol produced the silk screen prints. As you probably know, the exhibition was called 'In Search of Alexander' and it was ages ago, early 80s, I think, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
But although I've found reproductions in art books, I've never found any text that definitely says which work inspired him. It may very well be that he looked at all the famous ones, then gave us his composite, his interpretation.
I think it's wonderful, and captures so much about him. Even though it's profile, you can still see the liquid eyes and the focused gaze fixed firmly on the horizon.
Fiona

Perhaps knows anybody, from which statue Andy Warhol made his pictures of Alexander, and where is this statue. I couldn't found nothing in the web.

[artemisia]

Hello Fiona,
I have the green and dark red on my wall.
In my opinion, it’s not a creation of Warhol (composite as you say), but a photography of a real existing bronze head (evidently the changing green colors of the head), which he put some draws on.
It is surely not the one from Akropolis which I have too in copy (the Akropolis one is too idealized in attic manner). It comes near to the tradition of the Boston head (line with Pergamon - Abukir), but is not this one. I think it’s a genuine ancient copy of Lysippos, perhaps in the house of some rich American. Not even Steward knows it.
It’s startling to see the portrait from the www.meaus.com, which seems to be a new creation after the one Warhol had used. Very good!

[amyntoros]

Hello Fiona,
I have the green and dark red on my wall.
In my opinion, it’s not a creation of Warhol (composite as you say), but a photography of a real existing bronze head (evidently the changing green colors of the head), which he put some draws on.
It is surely not the one from Akropolis which I have too in copy (the Akropolis one is too idealized in attic manner). It comes near to the tradition of the Boston head (line with Pergamon - Abukir), but is not this one. I think it’s a genuine ancient copy of Lysippos, perhaps in the house of some rich American. Not even Steward knows it.
It’s startling to see the portrait from the www.meaus.com, which seems to be a new creation after the one Warhol had used. Very good!

You're correct, Artemisia – it is a bronze head and it is in a private collection, but not in the U.S! And Fiona, you're right in that the head was featured in the Search for Alexander exhibition. There's a full color photograph of the head in the book from the exhibit (Color plate 4) and it is catalogue entry number 9. Here's the blurb from the catalogue entry:

ALEXANDER THE GREAT
Height .385m (15 1/8 in.)
Bronze with a green patina
Private collection, Switzerland
Said by some to have been found at Boubon (or Bubon) in Lycia, in a building dedicated to the Roman Emperors.

Head and neck have been broken from a heroic statue. The eyes were inset in another material. Such technique was used in the Hellenistic period and in imperial times when famous likenesses were created anew by Greek imperial artists.

This romantic conception of the Macedonian conqueror, with hair fuller and longer than he ever wore it in his lifetime, suited the cult of Alexander as encouraged in the cities of Roman Asia Minor. Such cities traced their foundations or their new prosperity back to Hellenistic times, when they were settled by Macedonians and ruled by descendants of Alexander's generals. Since this head (or complete statue in the heroic traditions of Lysippos) seems to have been placed among portraits of Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, Septimius Severus, and Caracalla, the Antonine and Severan rulers of the Roman Empire could see themselves on terms of equality with the progenitor of Hellenism throughout all the East.

Frederique van der Wielen, in Jose Dorig, Art Antique, Collections privees de la Suisse Romande (1975), no. 384 and bibliography; J. Inan, in Istanbuler Mitteilungen 27/28 (1977/1978): 274, pl. 79, 1. 2 (confused reference). C Vermeule, “The Late Antoinine and Severan Bronze Portraits from Southwest Asia Minor,” in R. A. Stucky and I. Jucker, Eikones, Studien zum Griechischen und Romischen Bildnis, Hans Jucker zum Sechzigsten Geburstag Gewidmet (1979/1980), pp. 188-190. In a recent letter to the owner, Denys Haynes proposes a Hellenistic date.

Best regards,

[artemisia]

Thank you Amyntoros

[Fiona]

Wow, fancy owning a thing like that. I wonder whose it is? Thanks for the information, Amyntoros, that's very interesting.
Pictures of this head don't often appear in books, do they? Have you seen it in any other books than the exhibition catalogue?
And did you go to that exhibition? Was that the one that showed the treasures from Vergina?
Fiona

You're correct, Artemisia – it is a bronze head and it is in a private collection, but not in the U.S! And Fiona, you're right in that the head was featured in the Search for Alexander exhibition. There's a full color photograph of the head in the book from the exhibit (Color plate 4) and it is catalogue entry number 9. Here's the blurb from the catalogue entry:

[Fiona]

Hi Artemisia,
looks like you were absolutely right. I'm so glad you brought up the subject. I've seen pictures of that meaus head before, but I wasn't sure if I liked it or not. It made me uncomfortable, and I don't know why. But it's interesting that you see this connection between that and the Warhol one, thanks. I'll take another look.
(I like the green and red too.)
Fiona

Hello Fiona,
I have the green and dark red on my wall.
In my opinion, it’s not a creation of Warhol (composite as you say), but a photography of a real existing bronze head (evidently the changing green colors of the head), which he put some draws on.
It is surely not the one from Akropolis which I have too in copy (the Akropolis one is too idealized in attic manner). It comes near to the tradition of the Boston head (line with Pergamon - Abukir), but is not this one. I think it’s a genuine ancient copy of Lysippos, perhaps in the house of some rich American. Not even Steward knows it.
It’s startling to see the portrait from the www.meaus.com, which seems to be a new creation after the one Warhol had used. Very good!

[artemisia]

Hello Fiona,
I found a photography of it (frontal) at the cover of a new book, "Brill's Companion to Alexander", the book sounds interesting, but the price is not affordable

[Fiona]

Crumbs, you're right, that is a steep price! It does sound an interesting book, though - perhaps it could be ordered from the library - there's sure to be a copy in a library somewhere.
But thanks so much for telling me that - I just spent ages on Amazon, just gazing at the picture. It's not every day you see a new picture of Alexander that you've never seen before.
I think it's absolutely beautiful. I wonder how big it is? The lips remind me of the lips on the bronze of Hephaistion in the Prado. There's something intensely sad about the hollow eyes on bronzes, but the whole effect is of a really spiritual beauty. It's awesome.
And I'm wondering even more now who it is that owns it!
Fiona

Hello Fiona,
I found a photography of it (frontal) at the cover of a new book, "Brill's Companion to Alexander", the book sounds interesting, but the price is not affordable

[artemisia]

Hello Fiona,
I searched for the mentioned by Amyntoros Denys Haynes.
He wrotes a book "Technique of bronze statuary", dated after the exibition. He must present the bronze in this book as he knows the owner. I ordered it right now from: www.antikmakler.de for only 16,50 Euro. There are also other interesting books for sale (if you know german).
Regarding the looks of statues, one has to complet the missing parts (here the eyes), to paint marbles (of course the copy) and to put it in the right, by the sculptor intented position. Especially poor photographies of marbles are very misleading.

[jan]

Well, since you have brought all this up, I have a question. What happened to the inauguration of the sculpture gardens for Alexander near Clarence, NY? Anybody know?

[sarampola]

Hi Andy,

I am a new member and am interested in the discussions re: bronze statue of Alexander the Great found in Bubon. This piece was found by my uncle in mid sixties. unfortunateley he sold it to an american in Izmir/Turkey and bought himself a Massey Ferguson tractor. I am originally from the town located next to Bubon and would like to find out more about this piece. Do you know if the book 'Brill's Companion to Alexander' contains detail information about the statue? Why is this book so expensive?

Regards

Hakan

[artemisia]

Hi Hakan,

What was the context in which your uncle found the head? Are there some remains of buildings or other parts of this or other statues? Were there made some excavations?
Some photographs would be very interesting.
Greetings, Artemisia