Currently the name of this outstanding master became a true symbol a whole movement, which is usually designated by the term “pop art”. But what allowed this outstanding American to achieve such impressive recognition? You can understand this only by looking into the past of the great artist.
Andy Warhol's Early Years, Childhood and Family
Our today's hero was born in Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) and became the fourth child in big family immigrants from Eastern Europe. According to the most reliable data, his family’s homeland was Slovakia, but in some sources one can also find references to the artist’s Ukrainian roots.The parents of the future artist moved to the USA at the beginning of the twentieth century. Andy's father worked in a coal mine, and his mother was a housewife.
Our Andy's love for drawing and fine arts came back when he was early childhood. In the third grade the future famous artist fell ill with Sydenham's chorea and remained bedridden for about a year. This syndrome affects the muscles and leads to uncontrolled movements of the limbs. During this period, he began to “kill time” by painting all kinds of portraits, landscapes, and also making collages from old newspaper clippings.
It is quite remarkable that already in those days Warhol began to paint the most ordinary objects of the surrounding world - lit lamps, cigarette packs, key chains and much more. Subsequently, the artist admits that it was during this period that the formation of his signature style began, which remained with him until the end of his days and brought him enormous success and fame.
After graduation high school Andy attended Carnegie Mellon Institute of Technology, where he began studying graphics and the basics of commercial illustration. According to some authoritative sources, during his college years Andy was one of the most talented students in his group. However, academic success was accompanied by an obvious inability to find contact with peers and teachers.
Biography of Andy Warhol
After receiving his diploma (specialty - graphic design), our young Andy moved to New York, where he got a job as a window designer. During this period he painted advertising posters, holiday cards, and was also involved in general stand decoration. Some time later, he began to fruitfully collaborate with the famous glossy publications Harper's Bazaar and Vogue. Here he worked as an illustrator.
Artist Andy Warhol's career
The first success came to to a young artist already in 1950, when he profitably used artistic blots to create an advertisement for I. shoes. Miller." After that, he often began to receive lucrative contracts. His fees grew steadily. 
In 1952, Andy held his first full-scale exhibition, which instantly brought him huge success. In 1956, Warhol was successfully accepted into the “Art Editors Club”, and some time later he began creating his first paintings using the screen printing method.
By this time talented artist earned about one hundred thousand dollars a year, remaining by this indicator one of the most successful authors of his time.
In the second half of the fifties, he first began to get involved in photography, however fine arts everything still remained above all else for him.
In 1960, Andy Warhol created a design for cans of the Coca-Cola drink, which brought him several more large checks. During this period, our today's hero began to create a series of paintings about products of mass culture, which very soon became his “ business card».
Episode about Andy Warhol from the film “What Men Talk About”
Between 1960 and 1962, the artist presented to the public a series of works depicting cans of Campbell soup. This was followed by a series of works “Green Bottles of Coca-Cola”.
Works from the early sixties were exhibited in art gallery“Stabl” immediately became very popular. During this period, some called the artist’s paintings a reflection of the culture of mass consumption, while others simply spoke about the artist’s extraordinary ability to find aesthetics in ordinary things.
In 1963, Andy Warhol bought an old abandoned building in New York and organized something like his own workshop here. This place was called “Factory” and very soon became a springboard for the creation and presentation of the works of the famous author. Having hired a team of young artists, the recognized master instructed them to recreate his own works, thus making art a product of mass consumption.
In the mid-sixties, Warhol began to become interested in alternative types art. He creates his works from cardboard, old cans, and powder packets. In addition, during this period, the talented author began making his first films.
However, it was not always possible to attribute these works to the field of cinema. Nowadays, the artist’s short cinematic studies are more often considered to be part of the same alternative art, since many of the master’s films did not even have a clear plot.
The assassination attempt and the last years of Andy Warhol's life
On June 3, 1968, feminist and former Warhol model Valerie Solanas entered the artist's Factory and shot him several times in the stomach. The artist moved clinical death and a long operation, which still helped save his life. After recovering from his injuries, he refused to testify against his former model, and therefore Valerie received only three years in prison. 
After the assassination attempt, Andy Warhol changed a lot. He often painted works related in one way or another to death. He was greatly influenced by the death of Marilyn Monroe, which resulted in his writing famous painting, dedicated to the actress. Subsequently, the works of this period will be identified by art connoisseurs as a separate stage of the author’s work.
Serving art in the artist’s life continued until the end of his days. In 1987, the great and incomprehensible Andy Warhol died in his sleep from cardiac arrest. At that time he was fifty-eight years old.
Personal life of Andy Warhol
For a long time, rumors attributed the great artist to an affair with his friend and muse Edie Sedgwick. They were halves of one whole - they dressed the same, dyed their hair the same color, and appeared everywhere together. 
Andy and his muse met in 1965, when Edie first came to the artist’s “Factory”. She starred in several of his films and although they were often not available to a wide circle viewers, the press began to write about the model more often.
"I Seduced Andy Warhol" (film trailer)
However, this relationship ended one day for an unknown reason, presumably due to Eddie’s excessive drug use.
Andy Warhol always kept his personal life secret. Although most researchers agree that great artist was gay, but this is not known for certain.
Andy Warhol is one of the greatest artists of our time. His work is inseparable from such a concept as “ popular culture" He did a lot to make art as accessible as possible to the broad masses, so that people learned to see the beauty of everyday things, realizing that everything that surrounds a person is beautiful in its essence. For Warhol, art was a way to love the superficial essence of things. It was this insight that helped him understand that this is what makes art limitless.
(Total 11 photos)
1. On this canvas, a photograph of which was provided auction house Sotheby's, depicting Andy Warhol himself. He painted the picture in 1986 and called it “Self Portrait”. This was one of his latest works the artist exhibited during his lifetime. It was later sold at Christie's in New York for $27.5 million.
2. A portrait of Michael Jackson at the British Music Experience Exibition at the O2 Center in London on August 5, 2009, where Jackson was scheduled to perform. The portrait will then return to New York and will be put up for auction at a starting price of $80,000.
3. The columns of the National Gallery in Scotland are covered with posters of Campbell's soup cans in honor of the upcoming Andy Warhol exhibition. Its date coincides with the 20th anniversary of the artist’s death. This is the largest exhibition held in Scotland and dedicated to works artist, is the most complete of those that have previously been carried out.
4. Underground film director Andy Warhol is seen behind the camera during filming in New York in December 1967. He films actors Patrick Tilden-Klose (right) and Taylor Mead while sound designer Fred Hughes crouches down with a microphone to record the sound.
5. General view for the exhibition "Andy Warhol: Motion Pictures", held at the Museum of Modern Art in New York on December 14, 2010.
6. A visitor to the exhibition walks past Andy Warhol’s painting “A Boy for Meg” (1962), painted on canvas using oil paints and tempera, during a press preview of an exhibition in honor of Andy Warhol in Washington at the National Gallery of Art."
7. A visitor examines paintings at the opening of the exhibition "Andy Warhol Retrospective", held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles on May 25, 2002.
8. Visitors Paul Jackson, a designer, and his wife Elizabeth, a writer, arrived from Oakland, California, for the opening of the Andy Warhol Retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Los Angeles.
9. A photograph of a young bodybuilder taken by Andy Warhol, on display at the Nelson Gallery. This photograph was one of several donated by the Warhol Foundation to the Visual Arts organization. After 34 years, UC-Davis' Nelson Gallery is moving from the Arts Building to a new location in the former University Clubhouse. Richard L. Nelson Hall was named after the first chairman of the art department at the University of California. His work will begin with two shows: “American Gothic: Regionalist Portraits from the Collection” and “Gordon Cook: Out There.”
10. Undated image provided by Sotheby's in London, UK on April 14, 2011, is a work by Andy Warhol entitled "Sixteen Jackies" (1964).
It was created using silk-screen printing ink and acrylic paints for working on canvas. The painting will be shown at Sotheby's in London before going up for auction at the Contemporary Art Evening in New York on May 9 and 10. It is estimated to be worth approximately 20 to 30 million US dollars (or 13.8 to 20.8 million euros).
11. Andy Warhol is a “man of the world” who managed to show us this world in all its splendor and diversity. The artist’s work still attracts the attention of many millions of people. It should be noted that the artist’s works are among the best-selling works of art today.
Today marks the 86th anniversary of the birth of Andy Warhol, the famous American artist, designer, sculptor, producer, director, writer, magazine publisher, founder of the “homouniversale” ideology and author of works that have already become synonymous with the concept of commercial pop art. Andy Warhol made art accessible to the masses so that people learned to see the beauty of everyday things and understand that everything that surrounds them is beautiful in its essence. On the occasion of the birthday of the provocateur genius, we remembered 10 of his most famous works.
1. Marilyn Diptych
Marilyn diptych, 1962
The canvas was painted immediately after the death of Marilyn Monroe. Andy Warhol combined two paintings: fifty roughly colored, replicated portraits of the actress and exactly the same, but in black and white. On the second canvas, most of the portraits are poorly visible or blurred. Thus, the artist managed to show the image of death that haunted Marilyn and emphasize the contrast with her life. Now the painting is in London, in the Tate Gallery.
2. A can of Campbell's soup
Campbell Soup Can, 1962
This painting, according to the artist, was his best job. It all started with one picture, then a whole series was born. It expresses Warhol's desire to reveal the superficial essence of things and enable everyone to understand that an iron or a vacuum cleaner is as beautiful as green hills or a meadow with flowers. Warhol explained his passion for painting the everyday very simply: “I work with what I like.” And he really loved Campbell soups; he ate them straight from the can. This painting was sold for $24 million after Warhol's death. The author himself at one time, without suspecting anything, sold similar ones for 100 bucks.
3. Pistol
Pistol, 1981-1982
On June 3, 1968, Andy Warhol survived an attempt on his life - he received three bullet wounds in the stomach. A close encounter with death inspired the pop art innovator to create several paintings, including the famous “Pistol” - a copy of the revolver with which he was almost shot. On a red background there is a stenciled image of a revolver in black and white color solutions. Today this work is estimated at 6-7 million dollars.
4. Banana
Banana, 1967
Warhol was a producer Velvet group Underground. His main contribution was the creation of the cover of the debut album The Velvet Underground and Nico. It was on it that the famous bright yellow banana, the artist’s signature and the inscription “Peel slowly and see” were first depicted. And the first editions of the album were equipped with a yellow banana glued to the envelopes, tearing it off, one could find another fruit - this time pink color and cleaned.
5. 200 one dollar bills
200 one dollar bills, 1962
Warhol said: “I asked several of my friends to suggest themes for my work. Finally, one friend asked the right question: “Listen, what do you love most?” That’s how I started drawing money!” Andy Warhol, as a promoter of everything that has a mass character, could not ignore such a familiar thing for Americans as a one-dollar bill. It was in this picture that he maximally revealed the theme of spiritual and material values. There is nothing in the picture but money. However, this work is among the most expensive: it was sold for 43.8 million dollars. Thus, Warhol proved his main idea“art is a profit if it sells well.”
6. Eight Elvises
Eight Elvises, 1963
Palm among the most expensive work Warhol owns the painting “Eight Elvises,” which was inspired by the late king of rock and roll. These few Presleys are worth $108.1 million. The artist wanted not only to remember Elvis, but also to reflect his favorite theme in art - the theme of the frailty of fame, the monotonous repetition of identical images and the fear of death. Warhol painted the painting in his favorite color – silver.
7. Green Coca-Cola bottles
Green Coca-Cola bottles, 1962
What could be simpler - just depict a well-known bottle? But this was the whole secret of Andy Warhol’s art - it should be understandable to everyone, and everyone drinks Coca-Cola: from the president to the ordinary worker. The artist made a bet not on elitism, but on mass appeal, and he was right. “The amazing thing about this country is that it has given birth to new tradition consumption - the rich buy exactly the same products as the poor. The President drinks Coke, Liz Taylor drinks Coke and, just think, you drink Coke too,” he said.
8. Red Lenin
Red Lenin, 1987
From celebrities, whom Andy Warhol painted very often, the artist moved on to politicians. One of his later works became the painting “Red Lenin,” which until recently belonged to Boris Berezovsky. Even before his death, the oligarch sold the work of art and “Red Lenin” went under the hammer for almost 202 thousand dollars to a private collector. Initially, the silk-screened reproduction of Warhol was estimated at 45-75 thousand dollars.
9. Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II, 1985
The 100 x 80 centimeter images of Elizabeth II were based on a 1975 photograph of the queen by photographer Peter Grujon and were included in Warhol's Reigning Queens collection. It also included his portraits of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Margrethe II of Denmark and Ntombi Twala of Swaziland. The British Queen is depicted in the artist’s works wearing the Vladimir Tiara, which once belonged to representatives of the Russian imperial house of the Romanovs. Recently, Elizabeth II bought four portraits of herself by Andy Warhol for the Royal Collection.
10. Che Guevara
Che Guevara, 1968
Few people know that known version Che Guevara's "Heroic Guerrilla" poster is not Andy Warhol's. The fact is that his companion Gerard Malanga created this work in the style of Warhol, passing off the work as a drawing by the latter for profit. But Gerard’s scam was revealed and prison awaited him. Then Warhol saved the situation - he agreed to recognize the fake as his work on the condition that all the proceeds from the sale would go to him.
An incredibly multifaceted personality, an American who throughout his life managed to be an artist, producer, designer, writer, magazine publisher and film director. His most popular activity was fine art, in which he achieved unprecedented heights and fame thanks to a new direction during his life - pop culture, which Warhol satirically depicted in his works.
Andrei Warhola - real name Andy Warhol - was a master of shocking and self-irony. His philosophy was based on a critical attitude towards anything, be it art, auto racing, society, lifestyles, or even himself. He thought differently, and this made him a famous and still often mentioned artist.
Andy began, no less, with a career as an illustrator for Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and other less popular publications in New York, which provided him with a quick start in art. Fame came just a year later, in 1950, after successfully designing an advertisement for a shoe company, but that was just the beginning.
Warhol gained real fame thanks to an enchanting series of canvases that depicted cans of Coca-Cola and canned food, made in unusually violent colors, which laid the foundation for his further style and also became the artist’s calling card.
Warhol considered his work no different from other works; he was surprised that all other people elevate artists to the rank of people not of this world - sublime, subtle natures with an unusual sense of perception of reality. Warhola believed that society harbors illusions about this profession and cannot and does not want to fight its ingrained fantasies about this matter.
His mockery of American consumer culture was immediately noticed by critics. Many admired his talent, some skillfully made jokes and comments about the master of shocking who was already gaining momentum.
Warhol was not surprised by the negative exclamations of critics about his work; he considered this an inevitable reaction to everything new, although he himself, however, did not consider his own works to be new. Warhola was a contradictory person and sometimes got confused in his own conclusions, which amused him and gave him new reasons for inspiration.
To the question: “Why do you always paint pictures, Andy?” Warhol replied: “Paintings are nothing.” According to him, everything was nothing, and the more you realize this, the easier it becomes to live.
His philosophy consisted of a penetrating view of the world, the close observation of which revealed to him a different angle of view on many things. Warhol was unlike his creative colleagues in that he considered his occupation something ordinary, and also perceived his work as such, taking into account the main task of any activity - making a profit.
The artist’s most outstanding works were the images of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, Elvis Presley and Mao Zedong, executed in an acidic manner in endlessly repeating variations.
Fame grew and Andy began to try himself in other guises, such as film directing, photography and working as a magazine editor, in which he also succeeded.
The master of outrageousness died due to a tragic incident: three shots fired by feminist Valerie Solanas - one of the adherents of the special youth culture that developed around Warhol - seriously wounded Andy, making him disabled for all the subsequent years of his life, and subsequently causing his death.
The greatest creator of the twentieth century died, but his thought remained and gave rise to an unusual revolution in further development art. The philosophy of Andrei Varhola was adopted by many artists who became the founders of new directions: one of them is often found in modern world- so-called street art: people from different countries the world were keen on creating satirical inscriptions or pictures on the roofs of houses, asphalt or walls of buildings - such actions were regarded as vandalism, but later it was called art. Many artists of this movement became only imitators of Andy Warhol, but all the rest remained true to his philosophy of criticism of the whole world and what is happening in it.
Finally, I would like to add that Warhol was always a commercial artist: “Only at first I made, and then I began to produce.” He believed that art is best business to make money, and success in business is the most attractive form of art. Commercial view of painting? Why not! Despite differences of opinion on this matter, Andy Warhol was and remains one of the most popular figures in art.
An American artist, producer, designer, writer, collector, magazine publisher and film director, a notable person in the history of the pop art movement and modern art in general. The founder of the “homo universale” ideology, the creator of works that are synonymous with the concept of “commercial pop art”.
IN recent years Andy Warhol tops the list of best-selling artists. Thus, in 2013, the total value of the artist’s works sold at auction was $427.1 million. The most highly prized are large-format canvases from 1962-1964, prices for which can reach up to $100 million. In November 2013, a record was set at $105.4 million for “ Silver car accident (double)" (1963). Between 1985 and 2010, average auction prices for Warhol's works rose 3,400 percent, roughly double the average price increase for contemporary art over the same period.
To the paintings of Andy Warhol
Diptych Marilyn
The artist’s famous silk-screen canvas, made in the pop art style. Warhol's work on the painting began a week after Marilyn Monroe's death, in August 1962. Location, museum - Tate Gallery.
To camouflage Self-Portrait – Self-Portrait
Andy Warhol took this self-portrait a few months before his death, which was in February 1986. There is a contrast between the impersonality of camouflage, which hints at danger, and the personality of the book tradition, where there is direct contact with the viewer, although in this case with a protective illusory covering. The ambiguous use of camouflage attracts attention and gives the picture a fashionable look. The painting is in New York, Metropolitan. 
Ethel Skull 36 Times – Ethel Scull 36 Times
The painting consists of four rows and nine equal columns, depicting the skull of Ethel Redner, a renowned collector of modern art. 1963
Beethoven
B itles
Black Lenin
