Ladies and Gentlemen (FS II.132)

Ladies and Gentlemen (FS II.132) is part of Andy Warhol’s provocative and powerful Ladies and Gentlemen series, created in 1975. This specific screenprint, catalogued as FS II.132 in the Feldman & Schellmann catalogue raisonné, showcases Warhol’s signature Pop Art style, blending vibrant colors, bold outlines, and layered textures to portray a striking portrait of a Black or Latinx drag queen — part of the underground LGBTQ+ community of New York City in the 1970s.
Rather than using celebrities, Warhol turned his lens toward anonymous but compelling figures from marginalized communities, photographing subjects from the Gilded Grape nightclub. These portraits were spontaneous, raw, and deeply expressive. In FS II.132, Warhol captures the glamour, dignity, and performative identity of the sitter, while also highlighting themes of transformation, race, and gender.
The use of silkscreen printing allowed Warhol to flatten the image and introduce abstract color fields — often unexpected hues like electric pinks, greens, and blues — which both glamorize and anonymize the subject. This duality makes the piece both celebratory and confrontational, drawing attention to both the individuality and societal invisibility of his subjects.
Ladies and Gentlemen (FS II.132) is not just a portrait — it's a statement. It’s a compelling intersection of art, identity, and politics, cementing Warhol’s place not just as a chronicler of fame, but as an observer of society’s fringes and forgotten figures.