“Triple Elvis” is a renowned work by artist Andy Warhol, dating from 1963. This iconic piece belongs to the Pop Art movement and is classified as a portrait. The artwork is housed at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts located in Richmond, VA, United States.
The piece features three identical, overlapping full-body portraits of Elvis Presley in a gunslinger pose, derived from a publicity still for the movie “Flaming Star.” Warhol’s distinctive use of silkscreen printing allows for the repetition of the image, playing into themes of celebrity culture and mass production which are central to the Pop Art movement. The artwork exhibits variations in shading, fading, and ink coverage that give it a sense of movement and dynamism, despite the static and repeated nature of the subject’s pose. The figure of Elvis is rendered in a stark, contrasting monochrome which makes it stand out against the silver background, further emphasizing the star’s legendary status.
