(Review)
Ripon College, PO Box 248, Ripon, WI, United States
Abstract
The American Pop artist Andy Warhol (1928-87) produced a series of colourful silkscreen prints in 1982 of a Roman-era bronze head of Alexander the Great. These prints were commissioned by Alexander Iolas (1907-87) to correspond with the blockbuster exhibition of ancient art and artefacts The Search for Alexander. In this article we argue that Warhol's vision of Alexander is postmodern because he encouraged his audience to receive Alexander's identity from a multitude of viewpoints. We contrast the way that this head would have been understood in ancient times with the thinking about Warhol's images in contemporary times. We note that there were many treatments ofAlexander in popular culture, which meant that the American public was deeply engaged with questions about who this man was. By looking at the Alexander series this article contributes to an understanding of Warhol's engagement with antiquity. Ultimately we interpret the print series using the history of nationalism, violence, and sexuality, emphasizing how in the postmodern era ancient ideas have been used for new purposes. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.
ISSN: 17595134Source Type: Journal Original language: English
DOI: 10.1093/crj/clv005Document Type: Review
Publisher: Oxford University Press
© Copyright 2016 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
