Most Wanted Men No. 12, Frank B.
- Artist
- Andy Warhol, American, 1928–1987
- Date
- April–July 1964
- Material
- Screenprint ink on linen
- made in
- New York, New York, United States, North and Central America
- Classification
- Paintings
- Current Location
- On View, Gallery 254
- Dimensions
- 48 1/4 x 40 in. (122.6 x 101.6 cm)
framed: 50 3/16 x 42 1/4 in. (127.5 x 107.3 cm) - Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Greenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Greenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Greenberg, and Mr. and Mrs. Harold Blatt
- Rights
- © 2013 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by ARS
- Object Number
- 623:1979
NOTES
Commissioned to create a mural for the 1964 World ’s Fair in New York, Andy Warhol silkscreened a series of paintings depicting the New York City Police Department’s “Thirteen Most Wanted Men. ” By enlarging and elevating mug shots of the city ’s most dangerous fugitives, such as this profile of murderer Frank Bellone, Warhol examines the American tendency to merge criminality with celebrity. As the artist once said, “…if you’re a crook you’re still considered up-there. You can write books, go on TV, give interviews —you ’re a big celebrity and nobody even looks down on you because you ’re a crook.”
Provenance
by 1966 -
Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, NY [1]
by 1970 -
Dayton's Gallery 12, Minneapolis, MN [2]
by 1975 - 1979
Greenberg Gallery, St. Louis, MO [3]
1979 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Greenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Greenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Greenberg, and Mr. and Mrs. Harold Blatt [4]
Notes:
[1] According to the Frei and Printz catalogue raisonné, all 22 canvases from the "Most Wanted Men" series were originally consigned to the Leo Castelli Gallery [Frei and Printz eds. "The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné, Vol. 2A, Paintings and Sculptures 1964-1969." New York: Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, 2002, p. 26, Cat. no. 566].
[2] The exhibition catalogue for the Andy Warhol exhibit organized by the Pasadena Museum of California Art cites "Most Wanted Men No. 12, Frank B." (later 623:1979) as courtesy Dayton's Gallery 12, Minneapolis, MN [John Coplans ed., "Andy Warhol." New York: New York Graphic Society, 1970, unpaginated].
[3] We know that Greenberg Gallery had 623:1979 in its collection in 1975, but it is unknown who they acquired it from. Saint Louis Art Museum Loan Agreement Form with the Greenberg Gallery, St. Louis, MO, December 16, 1975 [SLAM document files].
[4] Minutes of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, December 19, 1975.
Leo Castelli Gallery, New York, NY [1]
by 1970 -
Dayton's Gallery 12, Minneapolis, MN [2]
by 1975 - 1979
Greenberg Gallery, St. Louis, MO [3]
1979 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Greenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Greenberg, Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Greenberg, and Mr. and Mrs. Harold Blatt [4]
Notes:
[1] According to the Frei and Printz catalogue raisonné, all 22 canvases from the "Most Wanted Men" series were originally consigned to the Leo Castelli Gallery [Frei and Printz eds. "The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné, Vol. 2A, Paintings and Sculptures 1964-1969." New York: Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, 2002, p. 26, Cat. no. 566].
[2] The exhibition catalogue for the Andy Warhol exhibit organized by the Pasadena Museum of California Art cites "Most Wanted Men No. 12, Frank B." (later 623:1979) as courtesy Dayton's Gallery 12, Minneapolis, MN [John Coplans ed., "Andy Warhol." New York: New York Graphic Society, 1970, unpaginated].
[3] We know that Greenberg Gallery had 623:1979 in its collection in 1975, but it is unknown who they acquired it from. Saint Louis Art Museum Loan Agreement Form with the Greenberg Gallery, St. Louis, MO, December 16, 1975 [SLAM document files].
[4] Minutes of the Acquisitions Committee of the Board of Trustees, Saint Louis Art Museum, December 19, 1975.