Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is perhaps the most influential and valuable American artist of the 20th century. While he is renowned for his iconic Pop art portraits, Caviar20 has been exploring and offering his inimitable works on paper from the 1950s. We believe this is an important, and for the time being, accessible and under-appreciated part of his legacy.
During the 1950's Warhol established his reputation in New York City as an illustrator for numerous fashion publications and businesses. His succinct line drawings were modern and gentle, realized with a brave yet delicate gay sensibility.
The images he created "off the clock" from his fashion commissions were romantic sketches, daydreams of crushes, hunks, and friends. His 1956 exhibition, Studies for a Boy Book, failed commercially because of the queer and erotic subject matter.
In recent years there has been a new wave of scholarship and commercial interest in the early work created prior to Pop Art. Taschen, the legendary art book publisher, released Andy Warhol: Love, Sex & Desire which celebrates his drawings of the male form - and inspired a new generation of collectors and curators to re-examine this material.
Warhol had many muses; both real and imagined. Drawing of a Boy / Butterflies is one of many works where the subject’s identity is left to our imagination. Warhol portrays the delicate outline of a man who parts his lips and meets his gaze.
This work is exceptional due to the surprising screen print on the verso. When flipped, this drawing is supported with a graphic pattern of butterflies - one of his signature motifs from the 1950s. Another reminder that Warhol was both an exceptional draftsman and a pioneer in the visual arts.
As the Warhol market continues to accelerate there are fewer examples of these unique original drawings in circulation.
Questions about this piece? Contact us or call +1.416.704.1720. Visit our Toronto gallery on Thursdays or by appointment.
Untitled "Drawing of a Boy / Butterflies"
USA, circa 1955
Original black ink on paper
8.5"H 11"W (work)
15"H 11.75"W (framed)
Stamped verso by the estate of Andy Warhol and the Andy Warhol Art Authentication Board, Inc.
Very good condition.
Provenance: The Estate of Andy Warhol
Note: This is a unique, original drawing by Andy Warhol. It is recorded in the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. It will also be included in the future Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné that is currently being compiled by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts.
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