Farah Diba Pahlavi (Empress of Iran) 1976

This is Andy Warhol’s Polaroid of Farah Diba Pahlavi, the Empress of Iran, a little rectangle of celebrity. The way Warhol works, it’s all about the surface, right? How things look, the sheen, the gloss, the perfectly coiffed hair. But look closer, and you see it's not just surface. There’s a real softness, a vulnerability in the Empress’s eyes. The light is gentle and even. The color palette, all peaches and creams, feels almost edible. Warhol, of course, is famous for his screen prints, but these Polaroids are gems in their own right. The Polaroid as a medium is interesting, isn't it? Instant, disposable, yet somehow, it captures something essential about its subject. And in this case, the Empress’s gaze, the set of her jaw, all hint at the complex history behind the image. Like a Richter painting, this portrait invites multiple interpretations.