(Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1928 - 1987, New York, New York)
1964
Synthetic polymer paint and screenprint on canvas
20 x 16 3/4 in. (50.8 x 42.7 cm)
Collection of the Akron Art Museum
Gift of Monroe Meyerson
1972.4
© The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
Deeply affected by the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Warhol created a large series of portraits of his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy. Based on images from magazines and newspapers, Warhol’s isolation and repetition of Jackie’s image suggest both Jackie’s solitary grief and the collective experience of the nation as a witness. As with the events of 9/11, television was a unifying force during the time of JFK’s tragic death as people repeatedly watched the events unfold in Dallas as well as the funeral proceedings the following week. Warhol offers the viewer an obsessive reenactment of this central event in U.S. history through Jackie’s image. The artist was amazed at the power her image held as a reminder of this event.