Andy Warhol's iconic image of Mao Zedong, considered one of his most sensational pieces, is being put up for auction by the Swiss-based Daros Collection, owner of one of the greatest private holdings of Warhol paintings, Christie's auction house has announced.

"This work has the most prestigious provenance, staggering wall-power and is literally an icon of the 20th century," said Brett Gorvy, the head of post-war and contemporary art at Christie's.

Based on China's official portrait of its former leader, Warhol's silk-screen portrait measures 206 centimetres by 155 centimetres and depicts Mao in a dark blue jacket against a light blue background.

It is set to be auctioned at Christie's Rockefeller Center galleries as part of its evening sale of post-war and contemporary art yesterday. It was expected to bring between US$8 million and US$12 million.

Warhol was not shy about cashing in on what he perceived to be the capitalist collector's fascination with China and its leader.

"Andy Warhol was in love with fame," said Gorvy. "At the moment in history, 1971-72, it was the reopening of China to the West. China was creating new relations with America. Nixon had gone over to China so Chairman Mao's image was everywhere and Warhol captured that. He understood ... that it was famous not just for that moment but famous forever."

The auction house said "Mao" was Warhol's first political portrait, successfully paving the way for his later politically-laden works "Lenin" and "Hammer and Sickle."

"He chose Mao because he really was the most famous person in the world at that particular moment," said Gorvy. "He wanted to represent him as he was represented then all over China as this great icon."

The silk-screen image was derived from an official portrait of Mao on the cover of a book entitled "Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung."

It was one of a series of 10 large scale portraits Warhol made of Mao in 1972 with art experts considering "Mao" to be the best in the group.

Besides "Mao," the auction was to offer seven other Warhols from other private collections, including "Orange Marilyn" (1962), depicting Marilyn Monroe, with a presale estimate of US$10 million to US$15 million, and "Sixteen Jackies" (1964), portraying Jacqueline Kennedy, estimated at between US$12 million and US$16 million.

In May, an early iconoclastic work by Warhol of a Campbell's soup can titled, "Small Torn Campbell's Soup Can (Pepper Pot)," sold for almost US$11.8 million at Christie's.

(China Daily via Agencies November 16, 2006)