Watermelon (from Space Fruit) 1979

Andy Warhol revolutionized modern art by transforming everyday imagery into enduring cultural icons, collapsing the boundary between fine art and mass consumption. Emerging from his background in commercial illustration, Warhol embraced repetition, mechanical processes, and bold color to reflect—and critique—the visual language of advertising and consumer culture. By the late 1970s, his work had evolved into a refined synthesis of Pop sensibility and painterly sophistication, where familiar subjects were rendered with a heightened awareness of surface, scale, and graphic impact.

Watermelon (from Space Fruit), 1979 exemplifies this mature phase of Warhol’s practice. The composition elevates an ordinary fruit into a monumental, almost cosmic presence, using vivid color contrasts and crisp screenprinting to emphasize form, texture, and flatness. Executed as an original screenprint on Lenox Museum Board, the work underscores Warhol’s fascination with abundance, desire, and the aesthetics of display—hallmarks of his late Pop imagery. The piece bears the Andy Warhol Authentication Board stamp on the verso and is accompanied by a letter of authenticity issued by the Estate of Andy Warhol. Measuring 30 × 40 inches (76.2 × 101.6 cm), Watermelon stands as a confident and collectible example of Warhol’s ability to transform the mundane into the iconic.