Chris Evert

Fifteen versions of the same profile fill this grid, each one belonging to tennis star Chris Evert. Andy Warhol painted her in 1977, right when she was dominating the sport, and he treated her the way he had already treated Marilyn Monroe and Elvis. Every square carries a different color mood, sliding from soft pinks to bright greens, cool blues, and warm oranges. The rough brushwork and quick color swaps are unmistakably his, the trademark of an artist who made a whole career out of turning famous faces into repeating patterns.

This portrait came from Warhol's "Athletes" series, a set commissioned by collector Richard Weisman, who wanted ten sports legends on his walls. Evert shared that lineup with heavyweights like Muhammad Ali and Pelé, and she was the only tennis player chosen. The fun part is how Warhol gave a sportswoman the same movie-star treatment he handed to Hollywood icons, mixing athletic fame with pop glamour. Repeating her face over and over, he pokes at a question that fascinated him throughout his life: at what point does a real person stop being a person and start becoming a product printed again and again?