Man with glasses and blond hair sitting slumped in front of a group of balloons above his head

Iconic: Portraiture from Francis Bacon to Andy Warhol

Exhibition passed: 24 January 2025 – 5 May 2025

Included in general admission tickets
Suitable for all ages
Wheelchair accessible

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Iconic: Portraiture from Francis Bacon to Andy Warhol

Featuring major names of 20th century art including Francis Bacon, Peter Blake, Pauline Boty, Richard Hamilton, Gerhard Richter and Andy Warhol, Iconic: Portraiture from Francis Bacon to Andy Warhol brings rarely-seen works together to explore the ways artists are inspired by photography.

The exhibition focuses on the period in the mid 20th century, particularly the 1960s, when many artists began to use photographs as sources for paintings. Often, the photographs were not simply appropriated as tools in picture making but were themselves the subject matter, resulting in paintings that are about imagery and the mediation of such images. The exhibition also reflects on the potency of the media and the construction of celebrity. Many artists used photos of celebrities as the basis of their works, and several illustrate a degree of nostalgia, even for the very recent past.

“The term ‘Pop Art’ was coined in London in 1949 by the critic Lawrence Alloway, referencing artists’ use of photographic sources. We are thrilled to explore the development of portraiture from that moment and cannot wait to see the dialogue between them and the Holburne’s collection of paintings that depict the social elite and celebrities of their time.”
Dr. Chris Stephens, Director of the Holburne

Supporters

Peter Blake (b.1932), The Beatles, 1962, 1963-68, Acrylic emulsion on hardboard, Wilson Gift through Art Fund (2006). Photo courtesy Pallant House
Holburne ICONIC installation by Jo Hounsome Photography
Holburne ICONIC installation corner by Jo Hounsome Photography
Holburne ICONIC installation shot by Jo Hounsome Photography