Beethoven’s image becomes a Warhol pop-art icon in Bonn exhibition

The Beethoven House in Bonn is exhibiting Andy Warhol’s colorful 1987 silkscreens of Ludwig van Beethoven alongside rare preparatory works and related pieces. The exhibition examines how Warhol reinterpreted a famous historical portrait and places the series within his broader engagement with music and German subjects.

A new exhibition at the Beethoven House in Bonn explores Andy Warhol’s late portrait series devoted to Ludwig van Beethoven. “Beethoven by Warhol,” on display until April 2027, presents the American pop artist’s 1987 silkscreens as a vivid reinterpretation of the composer, replacing the stern appearance familiar from traditional portraits with bright colors and a graphic style.

Warhol produced the Beethoven images in a limited edition of 60 for his New York studio, The Factory. The series was created only weeks before his death on February 22, 1987, and is among his final bodies of work. The exhibition considers how he developed the subject and how the various color combinations emerged.

According to the exhibition material, Warhol studied several representations of Beethoven before settling on Joseph Karl Stieler’s 1820 portrait. He also made drawings based on images of the composer, including a statue in Bonn’s Münsterplatz. Warhol retained elements of Stieler’s composition but added strong color and a handwritten musical score. Instead of using the “Credo” from the “Missa Solemnis,” which appears in Stieler’s portrait, he selected music from Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata.”

The exhibition includes drawings, print proofs showing experiments with color, and a Beethoven print on canvas held by an anonymous collector from the Rhineland. Curator Silke Bettermann said Warhol’s treatment presents Beethoven as “completely modern” and “a superstar.” She also told DW that the musical notation makes the image speak through Beethoven’s own music.

Warhol’s connection to Germany is represented through works linked to Bonn-based gallerist Hermann Wünsche, who helped bring the artist to the Rhineland. On display is Warhol’s portrait of former Germany goalkeeper Toni Schumacher, lent by Schumacher’s private collection, as well as a collection of more than 50 record covers assembled by Belgian collector Guy Minnebach. The exhibition is presented as a prelude to commemorations marking the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s death in 2027.