Paramount, 1985

Andy Warhol (1928–1987) stands as one of the most influential and enigmatic figures of 20th-century art, whose work fundamentally redefined the relationship between art, celebrity, and consumer culture. Emerging from the commercial art world of 1950s New York, Warhol elevated everyday products and media imagery to the status of fine art, using the language of mass production to reflect on the allure and emptiness of modern life. Through his use of screenprinting, repetition, and bold color, he blurred the line between originality and reproduction, turning icons of commerce—Campbell’s soup cans, Coca-Cola bottles, dollar signs—into enduring symbols of American identity.

Paramount (1985) embodies Warhol’s late exploration of branded imagery and vibrant consumer iconography. Executed as a screenprint on Lenox Museum Board, signed and numbered from an edition of 190, and measuring 38 × 38 inches (96.5 × 96.5 cm), the work radiates the artist’s fascination with the seductive visual power of everyday design. By appropriating the instantly recognizable candy logo, Warhol transforms a simple product into a dazzling emblem of color, pattern, and desire. The piece captures both the sweetness and the superficiality of consumer pleasure, reaffirming Warhol’s enduring ability to find poetry—and provocation—in the symbols of mass production.