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Male Nude
1981
This intimate graphite on paper drawing by Andy Warhol, titled Male Nude and created in 1981, reveals a lesser known yet masterful dimension of the artist's practice. The work depicts a cropped view of a male figure from behind, with two pairs of hands resting on the buttocks, rendered in delicate line work with subtle tonalities that capture both physical form and psychological presence. The drawing demonstrates Warhol's exceptional draftsmanship and his enduring exploration of the male nude, a subject he returned to throughout his career. Formerly held in the Estate of Andy Warhol and subsequently The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, this unique work carries exceptional provenance and was sold at Christie's New York in 2013.
- Medium
- Graphite on paper
- Dimensions
- Spotted At
- Auction House · Christie's New York
Notes
Unique work (not an edition). Framed dimensions: 35 1/4 x 27 1/4 inches. Lot live: May 13, 7am (-07:00). Starting bid: $13,000. Estimated value: $25,000 to $35,000. Lot located in New York. Property from a Distinguished Private Collection. Condition report available by contacting specialist email. Listed as Drawing, Collage or other Work on Paper medium category. Exhibition history: New York, New York, 56 Henry Street, Andy Warhol: Nudes, January 9 to February 23, 2025. Bibliography: Linda Nochlin, Andy Warhol, and John Cheim. Andy Warhol Nudes. Robert Miller Gallery. Woodstock, New York, Overlook Press, 1995.
Artists in conversation
Roy Lichtenstein
American · b. 1923
Lichtenstein shared Warhol's commitment to Pop Art by transforming mass media imagery and consumer culture into high art. Both artists elevated commercial and popular sources through bold graphic techniques that questioned the boundary between fine art and everyday imagery.
Richard Hamilton
British · b. 1922
Hamilton pioneered the use of consumer advertising and celebrity imagery as artistic subject matter in ways that directly parallel Warhol's preoccupations. His collage work incorporating mass media products and glossy commercial aesthetics makes him an essential discovery for any Warhol collector.
Takashi Murakami
Japanese · b. 1962
Murakami mirrors Warhol's practice of blending fine art with commercial production, celebrity culture, and serialized imagery through his Superflat movement. Like Warhol he operates studios that function as factories and collaborates with luxury brands, deliberately dissolving the line between art and commerce.
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