Beethoven and Andy Warhol: Two rebellious icons

Andy Warhol portrait of Ludwig van Beethoven offers an unprecedented visual take on the great composer.

The artist's 1987 silkscreen dispenses with the stern face usually seen on historical portraits and statues of the musical genius. Instead, Warhol uses pop art's vivid colors and striking visual language to turn Beethoven into a modern icon.

Originally conceived as a commercial work for the Pop Art guru's New York City studio, known as The Factory, the image was produced in a limited edition of 60 and proved to be one of the most innovative artistic engagements with Ludwig van Beethoven in the 20th century.

The artist created the famous "Beethoven" color silkscreen prints just a few weeks before his sudden death on February 22, 1987. The series is among his final works.

How did Warhol approach Beethoven as a subject, and in what context did the work emerge in its numerous colored variations? A special exhibition, "Beethoven by Warhol," on show until April 2027 at the Beethoven House in Bonn — Ludwig van Beethoven's birthplace — explores these questions and more. 

Like-minded geniuses?

The exhibition presents rare works that visitors would otherwise never get to see. Over the course of three years, the team of curators at the Beethoven House and Archive Bonn, led by Malte Boecker, unearthed these valuable pieces from the depths of archives and private collections.

Alongside Warhol's iconic depiction of Beethoven, visitors can see drawings the artist did while searching for his Beethoven motif in Bonn. There are also proofs of prints that document his exploration of the series' color scheme.

The curators highlight an elaborately crafted Beethoven print on canvas which belongs to an anonymous collector from the Rhineland.

With such works, says curator Silke Bettermann, "Warhol tells us: Look here! This man, Beethoven, is completely modern! He's a superstar!"

Warhol's approach to his subjects

Whenever something looks effortless and easy, there's almost always a great deal of work behind it. The same is true of Warhol's Beethoven series.

In his research process, Warhol compared numerous depictions of the composer before developing his own concept. He also did drawings based on likenesses of Beethoven, including the statue of the composer at Münsterplatz in Bonn.

Ultimately, Warhol decided to base his work on the iconic portrait by Joseph Karl Stieler, painted in 1820 on commission from the Frankfurt couple Franz and Antonie Brentano — a merchant family and patrons of the arts who were friends with the composer. The portrait sought to capture not only Beethoven's outward appearance but also his rebellious personality.

Warhol adopts the graphic design of Stieler's work, transforming its colors and overlaying it with a handwritten Beethoven score. However, rather than using the notes of the "Credo" of the "Missa Solemnis," as Stieler did, he chose music from the "Moonlight Sonata," probably Beethoven's most famous work. "Warhol's Beethoven speaks to us quite literally through and by means of his music," curator Silke Bettermann told DW.

Sports star at the Beethoven House

Bonn-based Warhol gallerist Hermann Wünsche played a key role in the creation of Warhol's Beethoven works. He not only visited the artist in New York, but also brought him to the Rhineland several times. It's thanks to Wünsche that the artist created numerous Germany-related pieces, including the portraits of Chancellor Willy Brandt from 1976 and soccer star Toni Schumacher, whom Warhol portrayed in 1983.

The exhibition's organizers brought the work depicting Schumacher to Bonn — on loan from the soccer star's private collection. The former goalkeeper himself also paid a visit.

In 1983, Schumacher sat as a model for Warhol: "It really gave me goosebumps!"

Schumacher recalls his meeting with the US artist: "Back then, in the mid-1980s, in all modesty, I was already a star, too. But then Andy Warhol came along. And when we were together in the same room, I felt like I was looking at a superstar, so I took a bit of a back seat."

Warhol and music

Also on display for the first time at the Beethoven House is a unique collection of record covers designed by Warhol, assembled by Belgian collector and Warhol expert Guy Minnebach.

Over the course of three decades, Andy Warhol designed strikingly beautiful and individual covers for more than 50 records.

The range extends from a relatively classical, yet already whimsically playful, Mendelssohn record featuring Vladimir Horowitz, whom Warhol also knew personally, to the legendary jeans cover with a real zipper for The Rolling Stones' "Sticky Fingers" (1971) and the famous banana album cover for The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967).

According to eyewitness accounts, music played continuously at Warhol's studio. His record covers therefore offer a glimpse into the artist's musical tastes. Beethoven, notably, is not among them.

Wolfram Weimer: 'We need more Beethoven'

This Warhol exhibition is the prelude to an important event at the Beethoven House. In March 2027, people around the world will commemorate the 200th anniversary of Beethoven's death with a special edition of the Beethoven Festival.

"This exhibition is a wonderful opening to the Beethoven commemorative year," says Wolfram Weimer, Germany's Commissioner for Culture and the Media. As patron of the exhibition at the Beethoven House, he traveled to Bonn to see it and speak at the opening ceremony. "Today, we need more Beethoven," he said during his speech.

"Beethoven was not only a musical genius who delighted the world with the greatest musical works of art imaginable," Wolfram Weimer told DW. The composer also embodied the idea of freedom: "He was a rebel, he broke norms, and he questioned the power structures of his time. He was a messenger of freedom, and that is a good message for us today. We need more freedom today, too!"