Data Source

National Portrait Gallery

Exhibition Label

Born Gary, Indiana

In 1984, when Time magazine commissioned Andy Warhol to transform Michael Jackson into a pop celebrity icon for its cover portrait, the twenty-six-year-old entertainer had already reached an extraordinary level of fame. Jackson had rocketed to success, first with his brothers—the Jackson 5, whose first four singles topped the charts in 1970—and then through solo albums. His 1982 album Thriller won an unprecedented eight Grammy Awards; subsequent hits were commercial and critical successes throughout the world. As a singer, songwriter, dancer, and dynamic performer, he was unparalleled. "Michael Jackson’s songs, steps, and sexy aura," Time claimed, "set a flashy beat for the decade." Although Jackson’s personal life and changing physical appearance over the years created controversy, his influence on performance and vocal styles as well as music videos, dance, and fashion endured until the singer’s 2009 death at the age of fifty.

Artist

Andy Warhol, 6 Aug 1928 - 22 Feb 1987

Sitter

Michael Joseph Jackson, 29 Aug 1958 - 25 Jun 2009

Date

1984

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Time magazine

Medium

Synthetic polymer and silkscreen on canvas

Dimensions

Sight: 75.6 x 65.4cm (29 3/4 x 25 3/4")

Frame: 80 x 69.9 x 7cm (31 1/2 x 27 1/2 x 2 3/4")

Type

Painting

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

Object number

NPG.86.TC14

Culture

Michael Joseph Jackson: American\African American

Topic

Michael Joseph Jackson: Male

Michael Joseph Jackson: Performing Arts\Performer\Musician\Singer

Portrait

Restrictions & Rights

© Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York