While visiting the Upstate Gallery on Main, a beautiful piece of art caught my eye. Andy Warhol printed a stunning piece of art called Queen Beatrix, Reigning Queens. Warhol printed this Screen Print in 1985. He printed this on Lenox Museum Board. The pure size of the piece is breath taking the piece about 127 x 106.5 cm. This piece is a print taken from a Polaroid camera and then blown us to size. The process Warhol used is called Screen Printing. Warhol then took a red pencil to outline the portrait while bringing life to the print. This print depicts Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Queen Beatrix, the Dutch monarch is pictured face forward, in traditional Andy Warhol style. Queen Beatrix is portrayed shaded in color, outlined, and encapsulated the fairytale glamour that only Warhol could print. .
The color of print itself is eye catching. The base of the print is using dark color's the Queen's dress is a hunter green. Her skin in a beautiful peach, while her hair is dark. It's hard to tell whether her hair is dark brown, black or grey. However, even these colors seem typical and not interesting. Warhol also used a very light blue almost aqua in this print to create a little contrast. The lines of the original print its self is rather clean and straight just, as you would expect from a large blown up photo. I feel that with the color of the print Warhol is trying to retain the royal aspect of the Queen. I feel this way because the color is mute and simple, much like you would expect from a royal figure. The colors of this print bring a calm and graceful feeling over the piece. Warhol was known for his contemporized pop art. Warhol is renowned for popularizing the screen print as a contemporary art form However, I almost feel as if the base color's in this print was a little typical or basic, especially keeping Warhol's rehm in mind. Thought the base colors are dull and mute I feel Warhol brought his personality into mind with the outlines in the print.
