Executed in 1973. Warhol’s fascination with Mao came into focus at the time of President Nixon’s diplomatic visit to China in 1972. On May 14, 1973, Warhol wrote in his diary: "I painted a Mao; blue background, reddish brown shirt, and yellow face." The enduring appeal of this image is bound to the controversial nature of the figure of Chairman Mao, his aura accentuated in this work by painting his tunic in red - the color of the Chinese flag and the symbol of Communism. The complexity of the painting is further derived from combining the mechanical process of screenprint with the applied paint in bright primary tones. In contrast to the sharp, machine-like depictions of Marilyn dating from the previous decade, the Mao paintings are executed in broad, almost expressionistic brush strokes, accentuating gesture in a manner reminiscent of Pollock and de Kooning.