Name: Putti Duo
Brand: Andy Warhol
Rating: 4.8 (22 reviews)

About the Item

Andy Warhol is arguably the most important American artist of the 20th century. In the 1950s, he was an in-demand and celebrated illustrator working for New York's toniest publications (like Harper's Bazaar) and elegant shops (such as Bonwit Teller) in addition to many smaller independent fashion companies. Throughout the decade, Warhol received numerous awards and accolades for his illustrations - yet he found it difficult to surpass the designation of “commercial artist”. As an aspiring artist and as a commercial illustrator there were a number of motifs or elements that made frequent appearances in his work including his mother's famous hand-writing as well as hearts, butterflies, stars and angels. "In the Bottom of My Garden" is a delightful paradigm from this era. It showed how Warhol tried to bridge the commercial and fine-art realms through self-promotion. Throughout the 1950's Warhol would self-publish hand-made books composed of lithographs. These were given to both past and potential clients or important players in the New York cultural scene. "In the Bottom of My Garden" is one of Warhol's earliest and best-known hand-made books. It is made up of an ethereal wonderland of fairies, cherubs, and abundant florals. The book was composed of 16 unbound lithographs with a small number of hand-colored prints. These stylized chubby angels are both elegant as they get into scenes of fey mischief. Images such as these provide both a glimpse into Warhol's vast imagination and a striking look at his commercial background. It is also a reminder how queer-coded his universe was in the 1950's. His dedication to figuration (during the era of abstract expressionism) was just as radical as his continuous use of gay references and double-entendres. Questions about this artwork? Contact us. "Untitled" (aka "Putti Duo") from "In the Bottom of My Garden” USA, 1956 Offset lithograph on paper Stamped on verso by the Estate of Andy Warhol and the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board, Inc. and numbered PM 12.0767 8.5"H 11"W (work) 13.5"H 15.5"W (framed) Framed with museum glass. Very good condition.

Creator:
Andy Warhol (1928 - 1987, American)
Creation Year:
1956
Dimensions:
Height: 11 in (27.94 cm)Width: 8.5 in (21.59 cm)
Medium:
Watercolor,Lithograph,Offset
Movement & Style:
American Modern
Period:
1950-1959
Condition:
Very good condition.
Gallery Location:
Toronto, CA
Reference Number:
Seller: 04-241stDibs: LU215214249252

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 was phenomenally prolific, and the archive of original photography, prints, drawings, paintings and other art that he left behind is beyond vast.

Andy Warhol 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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