Jacqueline Kennedy III 15 by Andy Warhol features four different images of Jacqueline Kennedy surrounding the death of her husband, President John F. Kennedy. These images came from the December 6, 1963 issue of Life magazine by the photographer Fred Ward. In this print, Warhol still uses the stock images from the magazine with simple black ink printed on blue paper. The images chosen depict Jackie in a variety of emotions, likely shared by the American public during this time.
Jacqueline Kennedy III 15 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
Andy Warhol chose to crop the source images found in Life magazine so that the only focus was on Jackie Kennedy. This is a common theme found throughout his works. Warhol did not like how the media handled the death of JFK; these images of Jackie Kennedy were his response to the media blitz. Warhol once said that “…it didn’t bother me much that he was dead, what bothered me was the way television and radio were programming everybody to feel so sad.” By cropping the images and zooming in on Jackie’s face, he brings attention to both her grief and courage. Jackie Kennedy continues to be an iconic symbol of American royalty, especially since Warhol created his Jacqueline Kennedy series.
Photo credit: Jackie Kennedy with Caroline and John Jr. at JFK’s funeral. Courtesy of Fred Ward—Award Agency.
