Grapes 194 is a part of Andy Warhol’s 1979 Grapes series in which he created six variations of a still life focusing on grapes. Whereas past artists were interested in depicting a scene of various fruits in the most realistic light possible, Warhol implemented his own style by abstracting the image by imposing several blocks of color. For Grapes 194, Warhol uses different shades of red and blue, which surround the green grapes and blue leafs. Warhol also incorporates his signature hand-drawn lines, which impose a sketch-like quality to the lines that delineate the subject. The saturated color blocks and sketched lines create an abstracted composition, making the mundane subject an exciting and sensual work of Pop Art. These decadent colors make for an exceptional modern appropriation of the traditional practice of the still life portrait.
Grapes 194 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 that is accented with diamond dust and features much darker color schemes of the same imagery. For his still lifes he used traditional, everyday objects such as fruits and flowers. 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 imbued modern conventions on an ages old artistic tradition.
