Flowers, 1965
Information about the artwork
- MaterialAcrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas
- Dimensions61 x 61 cm
- Year of acquisition2000
- Inventory numberUAB 510
- On viewCurrently not exhibited
More about the artwork
In the summer of 1964, Andy Warhol began his “Flowers” series after seeing a photograph of hibiscus blossoms by the nature photographer Patricia Caulfield (1932-2023) in the magazine "Modern Photography.” Warhol reworked the original image, cropped it into a square format, and reproduced the flowers using the silkscreen technique in numerous variations—in pink, red, blue, orange, or, as seen here, in vibrant yellow. Having inspired artists for centuries as a symbol of life and transience, flowers also take on sociohistorical significance in this context: at the time these “Flowers” were created, the United States was beginning its military involvement in the Vietnam War. The well-known song “Where Have All the Flowers Gone” was popular in New York’s club scene and internationally celebrated as an anti-war anthem.
Andy Warhol, who had already been working for several years with press images of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley, was sued by Patricia Caulfield for copyright infringement of the original photograph. At the peak of his early fame, Warhol lost the lawsuit and from then on used only self-produced image sources for his work.
