The King of Pop Art’s portrait of the King of Pop went under the hammer on August 18, 2009 at an auction hosted by the Vered Gallery in the Hamptons. The owner of the gallery, Janet Lehr, who purchased the 30-by-26-inch Andy Warhol painting for $300,000, only months before Michael Jackson’s death, would not be drawn on the final sum paid by the anonymous buyer. One report, however, stated that it was in excess of $1million.

Prior to the sale, Warhol’s (Green) Michael Jackson portrait had been on tour. Shown at the Peninsula Beverly Hills Hotel and Gallery 825 in West Hollywood, the painting was also displayed at the O2 Arena in London as part of the British Music Experience exhibition. The 02 Arena is the venue where Jackson had been due to perform a number of comeback concerts only days before his untimely death on June 25, 2009.

In 1984, Jackson’s album Thriller topped the charts, with the video for the title song becoming the biggest selling in music history. At twenty-five years old, Jackson was at the height of his career. TIME magazine commissioned a portrait from Warhol to celebrate Jackson’s phenomenal success and the work, featuring a yellow background, was published on the cover of its 19 March, 1984 issue.

Andy Warhol, the leading light in the Pop Art movement, created works depicting objects from popular American culture. These mass produced images elevated many ordinary everyday objects, such as Campbell’s soup cans, to iconic status. Using synthetic polymer paint, images of international celebrities Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor were transformed into silk screened canvases from photographs. Acrylics were often hand painted onto the finished works; contrasting, yet harmonious, colours energising the surface of the canvas.

An authentic work such as this is out of the reach of most people. Imagine, however, having your own portrait painted in the style of Andy Warhol, hanging in your home. Oil Painting Express can make these dreams a reality, delivering a specially commissioned work from a photograph directly to your home in only a few weeks. The ordering procedure is fun and with Oil Painting Express’s team on hand to assist you at every step, it is also simple. Place your order today – you will not be disappointed. Rachel C. Smith 2009 United Kingdom