Saint Apollonia 332 by Andy Warhol is one of four screenprints from his 1984 Saint Apollonia portfolio. This colorway replaces the dramatic reds and dark earth tones of the other versions with luminous blues and warm ochres. The saint stands frontally, her pale blue robe contrasting against a muted golden background, while delicate turquoise outlines trace her hair, face, and garments. Fine craquelure from the Renaissance panel remains visible throughout the composition, giving Saint Apollonia 332 an unusual balance of serenity, age, and modern color.
Warhol and Renaissance Devotion
Unlike many of Warhol’s reinterpretations of Renaissance art, Saint Apollonia 332 closely follows its original source. The composition remains largely intact, and Warhol avoids the aggressive cropping found in works such as Birth of Venus, St. George and the Dragon, and The Annunciation. He even preserves the network of cracks across the painted surface. Rather than obscuring the painting’s age, Warhol allows five centuries of history to remain part of the finished image.
The original portrait, attributed to Piero della Francesca and dating to around 1455–1460, depicts Saint Apollonia with the quiet dignity characteristic of the Early Renaissance. Warhol’s restrained intervention suggests admiration for the source itself. At the same time, his carefully chosen palette transforms the work into something unmistakably contemporary.
The Story of Saint Apollonia
Saint Apollonia 332 portrays one of Christianity’s best-known virgin martyrs. During anti-Christian violence in Alexandria, persecutors broke and extracted all of Apollonia’s teeth before threatening to burn her alive unless she renounced her faith. Dionysius, Bishop of Alexandria, later recorded the event in a letter to Fabius of Antioch, describing both her torture and her voluntary martyrdom. Consequently, Christian tradition remembers Saint Apollonia as the patron saint of dentistry and those suffering from toothaches. Warhol preserves her traditional attributes by depicting her calmly holding a tooth with a pair of pliers.
Saint Apollonia 332 in Warhol’s Larger Body of Work
Warhol attended Byzantine Catholic services throughout his childhood and quietly maintained his religious faith as an adult. That lifelong familiarity with sacred imagery helps explain the sensitivity of this series. Instead of treating Saint Apollonia as an ironic Pop icon, he presents her with remarkable restraint. The cool blues and understated palette create one of the most contemplative prints in the portfolio.
Today, the original Saint Apollonia painting resides in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. Revolver Gallery is proud to offer the complete Warhol series, including Saint Apollonia 330, 331, and 333.
Image Credit: Saint Apollonia, attributed to Piero della Francesca, c. 1455–1460.
