No. 241 - Eight Elvises

I was talking to a friend I've known since first grade today about various financial, economic and business-related things and the name Andy Warhol was mentioned by my friend, who is an artist. I know little-to-nothing about Warhol. She apparently does. I thought it would be fitting to learn something new about him today.

I learned that the highest price ever paid for a Warhol painting is $100 million for a 1963 canvas titled Eight Elvises. The private transaction was reported in a 2009 article in The Economist, which described Warhol as the "bellwether of the art market." The $100 million benchmark price has been achieved by just a handful of artists, including Pablo Picasso.

This particular painting apparently merges the most popular aspects of Andy Warhol and his fascinations.  It has fame - the subject is Elvis Presley, one of the most famous American icons. It demonstrates the repetition of imagery. The painting is done in silver, his favorite color. The threat of death is implied through the pointing of the gun at the viewer. Finally, it is from 1963, a vintage Warhol year. The 12-ft high paiting has not been seen in public since it was displayed in Los Angeles in 1963.