Warhol applied his unique method to the classical tradition of “Still Life” portraits in his Grapes series. Where past artists were interested in depicting a scene of various fruits in the most realistic light possible, Warhol eschewed convention by taking a classical theme and adding a modern perspective. In this image, he implements color blocks in shades of greens, to fragment the composition. The fragmentation results in a more abstract approach to a traditional subject matter. For Grapes 191, Warhol uses musky grey-green hues that offset the marigold colored grapes.
Grapes 191 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
Warhol’s Grapes series was a part of the several still life portraits he began to produce in the 1970s. He also produced a special edition Grapes series with diamond dust. For his still-lifes, he used traditional, everyday objects such as fruits and flowers. The Grapes portfolio shows great similarity to the Gems portfolio, both through the use of color and composition to give still life a pop art edge. Along with the increase of still life production, Warhol also began to incorporate more hand drawn lines into his compositions. This, along with his signature color prints, made for beautiful pieces that later became known as his Grapes series.
