GringoSales

Item specifics
Listed By: Dealer or Reseller Signed?: Signed
Medium: Watercolor Subject: Nudes
Date of Creation: 1950-1969 Region of Origin: US
Original/ Reproduction: Original Size Type/ Largest Dimension: Small (Up to 14”)

This ORIGINAL SIGNED Letter Press Watercolor was done in 1955. It is hand signed Andy Warhol in black pen at lower left. A black and white (not watercolored) version of this work appeared in Warhol’s book In The Bottom of My Garden, a self-published volume of drawings he produced following a world tour he did in the mid-1950’s. Friends speculated that he was influenced by “Flower Fairies of the Autumn” by Cicely Mary Barketo or Les Fleurs Animee illustrated by Grandville or Jacques Stella’s Les Jeux et plaisirs de l’enfance, one or more of which he purchased in Amsterdam during this trip. Drawings from In The Bottom of My Garden were exhibited at Serendipity 3 in December 1956.

This is a one-of-a-kind piece (UNIQUE) in that it is hand colored in watercolor. This piece is an example of his earlier works employing his “blotted line technique,” then he handcolored the drawing with watercolors, a process which foreshadowed his “Flowers (Hand-Colored)” (1974) and in the trial proofs of the 1980’s.

It is in very good condition aside from normal aging; it is sold unframed. IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL PHOTOS, PLEASE SEND YOUR ACTUAL EMAIL ADDRESS AND WE WILL GLAD TO SEND THEM TO YOU.

Beginning in the early 1950s, Warhol produced several unbound portfolios of his work before self-publishing his first of several bound books, 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy in 1954, which was limited to 190 numbered, hand colored copies. He gave most of the copies of his self-published books as gifts to clients and friends; In The Bottom of My Garden was self-published and bound but limited to only 50 copies. Perhaps he produced so few copies of In the Bottom of My Garden because of his collaboration with his mother, Julia Warhola, who did the lettering and the sketch for the cover. The name for the book came from a song “There are Fairies in the Bottom of My Garden,” by Rose Fyleman and Liza Lahmann, which was popularized by Beatrice Lillie, a leading gay icon of her time, who was depicted in one of Warhol’s gold shoe collages.

Born in 1928 in Pittsburgh and studied commercial art at the School of Fine Arts at what is now Carnegie Mellon University before moving to NYC in 1949, Andy Warhol began a successful career in magazine illustration and advertising. His whimsical ink drawings of shoe advertisements done in a loose, blotted ink style, led to showings in New York galleries where he caught RCA Records executives’ attention and was hired to design album covers. It was during this NY commercial art, illustration, advertising period of the 1950’s that he drew the In The Bottom of My Garden series; this
was prior to the Pop Art period, for which he is best known, which began with his debut in LA in 1962. His career spanned almost four decades
before his death at age 58 in 1987.

PROVENANCE: As per the Provenance Document listed below, this piece was obtained directly from Andy Warhol. We purchased it from BRASSWELL GALLERIES in CT in 1995 and it has since been in our collection.

I would prefer Wire Transfer but Pay-Pal is also welcomed. Please ask all your questions during Auction time and please conduct your own research and investigation. This piece is sold as-is (as described). I am willing to accept offers, but please be fair. Please be aware, that if the auction closes as planned, I can ship WITHIN 10 DAYS or less. Thank you for your interest