Absolut Vodka

Medium: Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Year: 1985
Image: 41 3/4 x 34 1/8 inches (106 x 86.7 cm)
Sheet: 45 1/4 x 37 1/4 inches (115.1 x 94.4 cm)
Edition: Unnumbered edition of 100 signed
Publisher: Carillon Importers, Ltd., New Jersey
Literature: not in Feldman & Schellmann

There are presumably 100 signed proofs unnumbered, before the poster edition with a printed signature upper right

Michel Roux (1940 – 2019) was a pioneering entrepreneur credited with the remarkable success of the vodka brand Absolut. With a forward-thinking passion and instinct, he played a pivotal role in integrating high-end spirits into modern culture. His deep appreciation for food, drink, and art led him to understand that merging these elements would weave them into the fabric of contemporary life. Roux had a natural talent for branding and timing. In the late seventies and early eighties, he recognized the excitement of pop art in the art world, particularly with influential figures like Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, and Kenny Scharf. These artists were cultivating a new wave of collectors, and Roux sensed that these collectors also had a penchant for luxury items, including fine spirits. He capitalized on this cultural momentum by collaborating with Warhol and Haring to express their passion for the spirits he promoted. The design of the bottles, packaging, and promotional collectible items reflected this artistic vision, sparking a unique marketing movement that continues today. Roux’s campaign to elevate the distribution of Absolut vodka took shape at The Captain’s Table, a restaurant near the United Nations owned and managed by Biagio Musso. The restaurant attracted many notable figures, including Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Erté, Beyoncé, and Paul Simon. By the early eighties, with Musso’s support, Roux celebrated the U.S. launch of the new Absolut vodka, paving the way for its eventual dominance in the global spirits market. The friendship between these two European émigrés-Michel Roux from France and Biagio Musso from Italy-was commemorated by Roux’s personal gift of this signed Warhol poster to Musso.

Auction Results

Doyle New-York: 1 May 2025
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 20,480

ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
ABSOLUT VODKA, 1985
Color offset lithograph on white wove paper
Signed in pencil, from the unnumbered edition of 100

XXXXXXXXX

Heritage Auctions: 10 December 2024
Estimated: USD 40,000 – 50,000
USD 62,500

ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Absolut Vodka, 1985
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Presumably one of a small number of signed proofs
Signed in pencil lower right

XXXXXXXXX

Bukowskis Stockholm: 25 October 2023
Estimated: SEK 100,000 – 150,000
SEK 290,000 (Hammer)
SEK 362,500 / USD 32,585

Forum Auctions: 22 June 2023
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 28,000 (Hammer)
GBP 36,735 / USD 46,915

ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Absolut Vodka (Maréchal 43), 1985
Offset lithograph printed in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, the edition was 100

Christie’s London: 16 March 2023
Estimated: GBP 12,000 – 18,000
GBP 44,100 / USD 53,215

ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Absolut Vodka, 1985
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, presumably one of a small number of signed proofs

XXXXXXXXX

Phillips London: 15 June 2022
Estimated: GBP 10,000 – 15,000
GBP 37,800 / USD 45,895

ANDY WARHOL
Absolut Vodka, 1985
Offset lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil, from an unnumbered edition of 100

Shapiro Auctions: 14 May 2022
Estimated: USD 2,000 – 3,000
USD 19,500

ANDY WARHOL (AMERICAN 1928-1987)
Absolut Vodka, 1985
Lithograph
Signed lower right in pencil in margin

XXXXXXXXX

Phillips London: 10 September 2020
Estimated: GBP 8,000 – 12,000
GBP 43,750 / USD 56,030