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Watermelon (F. & S. II.199) - Signed Print by Andy Warhol 1979 - MyArtBroker

Watermelon (F. & S. II.199)
Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£12,000-£18,000Value Indicator

$24,000-$35,000 Value Indicator

$22,000-$30,000 Value Indicator

¥110,000-¥170,000 Value Indicator

14,500-22,000 Value Indicator

$120,000-$180,000 Value Indicator

¥2,270,000-¥3,400,000 Value Indicator

$15,000-$23,000 Value Indicator

7% AAGR

AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.

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Medium: Screenprint

Edition size: 150

Year: 1979

Size: H 76cm x W 102cm

Signed: Yes

Format: Signed Print

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Track auction value trend

The value of Andy Warhol’s Watermelon (F. & S. II.199) (signed) is estimated to be worth between £12,000 and £18,000. This screenprint, created in 1979, has shown consistent value growth, with an average annual growth rate of 7%. This work has an auction history of six total sales since its entry to the market in February 2006. Over the past 12 months, the average selling price was £8,155, across one total sale. In the last five years, the hammer price has ranged from £8,155 in May 2024 to £9,857 in November 2020, demonstrating an upward value trend. The edition size of this artwork is limited to 150.

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Auction Results

Auction DateAuction HouseLocation
Hammer Price
Return to Seller
Buyer Paid
May 2024Los Angeles Modern Auctions United States
November 2020Germann Auctions Switzerland
February 2020Rago United States
October 2017Sotheby's New York United States
April 2013Phillips New York United States
February 2006Christie's New York United States

Meaning & Analysis

The green fruit sits on the left side of the canvas while a large purple shadow extends off the right edge of the frame. Warhol’s overdrawing gives detail to the fruit, which would otherwise be unrecognisable but for its unique oblong shape. Warhol rarely produced still lives, making this rendition unique in his oeuvre. The red rectangular background colour patches give the appearance of paper, making the image appear to be almost a collage. Their off-kilter alignment gives a sense of whimsy and movement to the very static genre of still life.

Watermelon is the only example of a single fruit in Warhol’s 1979 series Space Fruit. The series, a collaboration with printmaker Rupert Jasen Smith, uses extreme lighting to cast long shadows over fruit which are then screen printed with overdrawing. In the larger series, Warhol experimented with the colour wheel. This image demonstrates both complimentary colours with the red and green, and analogous colours with red, purple, and pink. The medium, use of long shadows, and experimentation with the colour wheel all work to give this watermelon still life an other-worldly effect.

  • Andy Warhol was a leading figure of the Pop Art movement and is often considered the father of Pop Art. Born in 1928, Warhol allowed cultural references of the 20th century to drive his work. From the depiction of glamorous public figures, such as Marilyn Monroe, to the everyday Campbell’s Soup Can, the artist challenged what was considered art by blurring the boundaries between high art and mass consumerism. Warhol's preferred screen printing technique further reiterated his obsession with mass culture, enabling art to be seen as somewhat of a commodity through the reproduced images in multiple colour ways.

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