Andy Warhol
Foot with Strawberries
c. 1950s

Name: Foot with Strawberries
Brand: Andy Warhol
Price: 33925 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is arguably the most important American artist of the 20th century. He not only defined Pop Art but had an unparalleled influence on artists and visual culture. During the 1950's Warhol became established in New York City as an illustrator for many fashion companies and publications, frequently designing advertisements for shoes. His commercial reputation was built on depicting women's footwear, despite his possible ambivalence to the subject matter. Although Warhol was very busy with commissioned work, he was always drawing. The images he created independently were romantic portraits of friends, lovers, and fantasy subjects. Warhol was particularly inspired by men's feet and completed a number of such drawings during the mid-1950s. There is a fascinating contrast between his public work (women's shoes) and his private world / inspiration (men's nude feet). “Foot with Strawberries” is a fine example of one such drawing from this era. Negative space and framing are used to conceal the subject’s identity. Warhol portrays a single foot hovering over a heart-shaped dish adorn with fresh strawberries. Like the best of his work from this era, Warhol teases the viewer's imagination with his playful sensibility, delicate touch, and gentle whimsy. This original drawing is a paradigm of Warhol’s sensual studies of the human form. During this period, the artist created numerous representations of feet and shoes, emphasizing the contrast between his commercial and artistic practices. In 2010 Kasmin (New York) organized the exhibit "Andy Warhol: Still Lifes and Feet, 1956-1961" which illuminated this significant motif from his first decade in New York. In recent years there has been new scholarship and commercial interest in these early works created prior to Pop Art. Taschen, the legendary art book publisher, released Andy Warhol: Love, Sex and Desire 1950-1962 which celebrates his drawings of the male form - and inspired a new generation of collectors and curators to re-examine this material. Questions about this piece? Contact us. Visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment. “Foot with Strawberries” USA, c.1950s Black ballpoint pen on paper 17"H 14”W (work) Very good condition. Detailed condition report by request. Stamped verso by the estate of Andy Warhol and the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board, Inc. Artwork comes with a certificate of provenance from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.

Creator:

Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987, American)

Creation Year:

c. 1950s

Dimensions:

Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)Width: 14 in (35.56 cm)

Medium:

Ballpoint Pen

Movement & Style:

American Modern

Period:

1950-1959

Condition:

Very good condition.

Gallery Location:

Toronto, CA

Reference Number:

Seller: 08-231stDibs: LU215212910522

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Shop All Andy Warhol

Andy Warhol

The name of American artist Andy Warhol is all but synonymous with Pop art, the movement he helped shape in the 1960s. He is known for his clever appropriation of motifs and images from popular advertising and commercials, which he integrated into graphic, vibrant works that utilized mass-production technologies such as printmaking, photography and silkscreening. Later in his career, Warhol expanded his oeuvre to include other forms of media, founding Interview magazine and producing fashion shoots and films on-site at the Factory, his world-famous studio in New York.

Born and educated in in Pittsburgh, Warhol moved to New York City in 1949 and built a successful career as a commercial illustrator. Although he made whimsical drawings as a hobby during these years, his career as a fine artist began in the mid-1950s with ink-blot drawings and hand-drawn silkscreens. The 1955 lithograph You Can Lead a Shoe to Water illustrates how he incorporated in his artwork advertising styles and techniques, in this case shoe commercials.

As a child, Warhol was often sick and spent much of his time in bed, where he would make sketches and put together collections of movie-star photographs. He described this period as formative in terms of his skills and interests. Indeed, Warhol remained obsessed with celebrities throughout his career, often producing series devoted to a famous face or an object from the popular culture, such as Chairman Mao or Campbell’s tomato soup. The 1967 silkscreen Marilyn 25 embodies his love of bright color and famous subjects.

Warhol was a prominent cultural figure in New York during the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. The Factory was a gathering place for the era’s celebrities, writers, drag queens and fellow artists, and collaboration was common. To this day, Warhol remains one of the most important artists of the 20th century and continues to exert influence on contemporary creators.

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