Flowers (Hand-Colored) (FS II.113) is part of Andy Warhol’s 1974 Flowers (Hand-Colored) series, where he blends mechanical printing with personal, hand-applied touches. Unlike his earlier Flowers from the 1960s and 1970s—known for their bold colors and pop style—this series uses delicate black line drawings of simplified floral forms, printed by screenprint and then hand-colored with water-based dyes.
Each print in the edition is unique because of the individual hand-coloring done by Warhol’s studio assistants using Dr. Martin’s aniline watercolor dyes. In FS II.113, the color is soft and almost sketch-like, adding a sense of intimacy and imperfection that contrasts with Warhol’s usual slick, mass-produced aesthetic.
This work reflects a more introspective and quiet moment in Warhol’s career. Though still grounded in repetition and appropriation, Flowers (Hand-Colored) reveals his continued interest in the boundary between art and decoration, mass production and personal expression.