Lamentation 388 by Andy Warhol is a screenprint from 1986 depicting modern dance icon Martha Graham. The composition captures her in a moment of dramatic stillness. She appears cloaked in flowing shades of violet and indigo. Her body, tightly wrapped in fabric, twists in a gesture of anguish and grace against a dark, nearly black background. The electric blue outlines and highlights trace her form, evoking both motion and restraint. As a result, this creates a visual echo of dance suspended in time. Through this striking color contrast and Warhol’s characteristic linework, Lamentation 388 transforms a fleeting performance into a timeless image of emotional expression.
Lamentation 388 is one of three screenprints in Martha Graham Complete Portfolio. The print features dancer Martha Graham, a great influence on modern dance. She was the first dancer to perform at the White House and founded New York’s Martha Graham Dance Company. She once said, “I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. It’s permitting life to use you in a very intense way. Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes it is fearful. But nevertheless it is inevitable” (New York Times, 1985).
Lamentation 388 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
In this series, Warhol captures the beauty of a different art form and replicates its splendor in a still, two-dimensional image. American photographer Barbara Morgan, who often depicted modern dancers took the photo that Warhol used here as a source image. To commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the Martha Graham Dance Center of Contemporary Dance in New York, Warhol created this series in appreciation of her contribution to the performing arts. Warhol’s portfolio honors Graham by showing a variation of her abilities—not just as a dancer, but as someone who communicates profound emotion through movement and physical expression.
Photo Credit: Herta Moselsio photographs of Martha Graham’s Lamentation, circa 1939.
