Jane Fonda 268 (Trial Proof) depicts the American actress and activist Jane Fonda, a lasting icon of American cinema and political engagement. Fonda rose to fame in the 1960s with roles in Cat Ballou (1965) and Barbarella (1968). Later in her career, she began to devote much of her time to political activism. In 1982, Warhol offered this print as part of a fundraiser for Fonda’s then husband, Tom Hayden. The image is reminiscent of Warhol’s earlier portraits of movie stars, Liz Taylor and Marilyn Monroe—but with a sharper, more stylized elegance.
This particular Trial Proof stands apart from the standard edition through its crisp white background and distinctive color palette, which includes slate-violet hair, cool blue eye shadow, and soft magenta lips. These colors were part of Warhol’s experimental process while finalizing the edition. Each trial proof is unique, capturing the artist’s color testing and creative exploration in real time. The present work is hand-signed by Andy Warhol in pencil and originally belonged to Martin Lawrence Galleries in New York.
Jane Fonda 268 (Trial Proof) by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
Warhol’s fascination with fame, image, and media is palpable in Jane Fonda 268 (Trial Proof). The portrait’s stylized simplicity and graphic contours lend it a sense of theatrical polish, while the clean color fields evoke the balance of glamour and distance that defined Warhol’s best-known portraits. Though this version is not co-signed by Fonda herself, it remains a one-of-a-kind impression from the artist’s working process, offering collectors and scholars alike a direct look into Warhol’s methodology. It stands as a compelling piece not just for its visual appeal, but for its place at the intersection of celebrity, politics, and the art market—an intersection Warhol mapped better than anyone.
Photo credits:
- Andy Warhol, Jane Fonda, 1982 © 2018 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. Licensed by DACS, London. Courtesy BASTIAN, London.
- Andy Warhol Andy and Jane Fonda, 1982 gelatin silver print. Courtesy of Mutual Art.
