Reigning Queens facts for kids
Reigning Queens is a famous art series from 1985. It was created by the American artist Andy Warhol. This series features portraits of four powerful queens who were ruling at that time. Warhol made these portraits using a special printing method called silkscreen. There were 16 pictures in total, with four different pictures for each queen. The queens featured were Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Ntfombi Twala of Swaziland, and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
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What Are the Reigning Queens?
The Reigning Queens series shows only queens who were actively ruling their countries. These are known as ruling queens. The four queens in the series were:
- Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries.
- Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands.
- Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
- Queen Ntfombi Twala of Swaziland.
How Were the Portraits Made?
Andy Warhol created these portraits using official photographs of the queens. He then added his own artistic touch. He would put bright, abstract blocks of color over the images. This made the traditional photos look very modern and pop-art style.
The Sparkly 'Royal Edition'
Warhol also made a special version of the series called the 'Royal edition'. In these portraits, he added something called "diamond dust." This was actually tiny pieces of ground-up glass. When applied to the wet paint, it made the portraits sparkle! The Tate Galleries described this effect as "sparkly" and "extravagant." Only 30 sets of this special Royal edition were made.
Queen Elizabeth II's Portrait
Warhol's portraits of Queen Elizabeth II treated her like a famous celebrity. The magazine Time said that her image was "frozen in time and bright colours." The picture of Queen Elizabeth II was based on an official photograph. This photo was taken in 1975 for her Silver Jubilee in 1977.
The British Royal Collection explained that Warhol simplified the original photo. He made her face look almost like a mask. This removed her personal character. Instead, the portrait became a symbol of royal power.
A Special Addition to the Royal Collection
In 2012, four prints of Queen Elizabeth II from the 'Royal edition' were bought. They became part of the Royal Collection of the British royal family. These specific prints are unique because Queen Elizabeth did not pose for them. She also did not ask for them to be made.
