Eight Elvises
Artist	Andy Warhol
Year	1963
Medium	Silkscreen on canvas
Location	Private collection

Andy Warhol is generally regarded as the best pop artist of all time. He certainly is the most famous and successful artist of this genre. In 1963 Mr. Warhol created Eight Elvises. As one might perceive from the title, this painting features the pop singer and idol of the late 1950’s up until his untimely passing in 1977. This silkscreen was one of many produced by Warhol, depicting cultural icons of the period. Other similar images included those of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson. In 2009, Eight Elvises was purchased by a private collector for a reported $100 million. This made it one of the most expensive paintings ever sold.

The Photo

The Eight Elvises is an example of the photo effect utilized by Warhol. This painting, measuring 12 feet in height, is awash in silver, a favorite Warhol color technique. Elvis is dressed in cowboy garb. He faces viewers with a gun pointing toward them, drawn from the holster around his waist. This image is reproduced eight times with an overlapping stance, creating the sensation of movement across the canvas.

Like many of Warhol’s works, this piece is classified as a silkscreen on canvas of the Pop Art style.