Saint Apollonia 331 by Andy Warhol is one of four screenprints from his 1984 Saint Apollonia portfolio. The print presents the saint frontally against a dark, earth-toned ground, giving this version a more solemn atmosphere than the brighter red colorway of Saint Apollonia 330. Pale blue and green lines outline her face, hair, and dress, while a muted red cloak frames her body. Warhol preserves the cracked surface of the Renaissance source image, allowing age and texture to remain visible. As a result, Saint Apollonia 331 feels both ancient and newly charged.
The Story Behind the Saint
Saint Apollonia 331 draws from a fifteenth-century portrait attributed to Piero della Francesca, painted around 1455–1460. Warhol selected the image as part of his late-career engagement with Renaissance art. He places the Christian martyr among the historical and sacred subjects he revisited during the 1980s. Moreover, by treating Saint Apollonia with the same visual attention he gave to celebrities and cultural icons, Warhol brings her image into a modern register while preserving its devotional stillness.
According to Christian tradition, Apollonia suffered persecution during anti-Christian riots in Alexandria, Egypt, in the third century. Her attackers broke and removed her teeth before threatening to burn her alive unless she renounced her faith. Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, recorded the event in a letter to Fabius, Bishop of Antioch: “These men seized her also and by repeated blows broke all her teeth. They then erected outside the city gates a pile of wood and threatened to burn her alive if she refused to repeat after them impious words… Given, at her own request, a little freedom, she sprang quickly into the fire and was burned to death.” Her story remained widely known throughout the Christian world. As a result, Saint Apollonia became the patron saint of dentists and those suffering from toothaches, traditionally identified by the tooth and pliers she holds.
Saint Apollonia 331 in Andy Warhol’s Larger Body of Work
Among the four prints, Saint Apollonia 331 stands out for its subdued palette and dark ground. Unlike works from Warhol’s Birth of Venus, St. George and the Dragon, or The Annunciation, Warhol leaves the composition largely intact. He also preserves the visible cracks of the original panel. Their presence becomes part of the finished image.
Warhol’s Catholic upbringing gives the series added resonance. Although he rarely discussed his religious beliefs publicly, sacred imagery appeared throughout his career. It culminated in late works such as The Last Supper. Warhol also endured recurring health problems throughout his life. That experience may have deepened his interest in Saint Apollonia’s association with suffering, endurance, and healing. Today, the original painting hangs in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Revolver Gallery is proud to offer all four prints from Warhol’s series, including Saint Apollonia 330, 332, and 333.
Image Credit: Saint Apollonia, attributed to Piero della Francesca, c. 1455–1460.
