Mildred Scheel 238 by Andy Warhol was published to raise funds for the German Cancer Society (Deutsche Krebshilfe), which Scheel founded in 1974. Scheel was admired by many for her philanthropic activism and was nominated as Germany’s “Woman of the Year” in 1977, 1978 and 1979. In 1980, Warhol, who was a longtime friend of Scheel’s, immortalized her in the creation of this screenprint. This print of Mildred Scheel is one of the two prints that Warhol made of the famous philanthropist. Though they are both based off of the same image, this print uses more abstract color blocking to highlight Scheel’s features.
Mildred Scheel 238 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
Mildred Scheel was a German doctor and the second wife of former German president Walter Scheel. Scheel devoted her life to the fight against cancer, but died from the disease in 1985. Warhol’s signature style used commercial silkscreening techniques to create identical, mass-produced images on canvas then variations in color to give each print of an edition a different look. This print is especially vibrant, which is creatively juxtaposed with the professional photo and poised expression of Scheel. This portrait is a great departure from the ostentatiously glamorous portraits of Liz Taylor and Marilyn Monroe.
Photo credit: Andy Warhol’s polaroid of Mildred Scheel, 1979.