20th Century Art 
1 October 2020
20th Century Art 
126

Andy Warhol 1928–1987

Beethoven

1987
screenprint in colors on Lenox Museum Board 40¼ h × 40¼ w in (102 × 102 cm)
estimate: $40,000–60,000
result: $87,500
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Stamped and signed by the executor of the estate to verso 'Certificate of Authentity [sic]. We the undersigned certify this to be an original Andy Warhol work of art from his collection, entitled Beethoven. Print Number: AP 11/15. Herman Wuensche, Publisher. Rupert Jasen Smith, Master Printer. Fred Hughes, Executor of Andy Warhol Estate.' This work is number 11 of 15 artist's proofs aside from the edition of 60 printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York and published by Hermann Wünsche, Bonn.
provenance: Estate of Andy Warhol | Arij Gasiunasen Fine Art, Palm Beach | Acquired from the previous in 1990, Collection of David and Vivian Campbell, Toronto | Thence by descent, Barry Campbell
literature: Feldman/Schellmann II.393

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David & Vivian Campbell

20th Century Collectors and Philanthropists

David and Vivian Campbell were prominent philanthropists of the arts in Canada and collectors of early modern masters. Over the course of half a century, David and Vivian built a collection around intimate and dazzling works by giants of early 20th century art—Picasso, Matisse, Gris, Gauguin, Munch and Rodin among them—as well as later 20th century artists such as Will Barnet, Saul Steinberg and David Hockney, who grew out of the traditions of earlier masters, with a reverence for landscape and portraiture.

The scope of the century, along with the Campbells' distinct tastes within its vastness, are presented in the selection offered here; a landscape study of Le Pont Neuf by Paul Signac from 1895, the earliest work in the sale, shares the same musicality of color as Andy Warhol's screenprint of Beethoven from nearly one hundred years later. Portraits by Matisse and Hockney, done forty years apart, both present subjects that are quirky and grounded, executed with an economy and confidence of line. Irving Penn photographs Igor Stravinsky with the same adulatory nod seen in a portrait by André Kertész of his predecessor, Brassaï. An exuberant collage by Picasso celebrates the birth of his son, while Old Man's Afternoon by Will Barnet meditates on loss and aging. A thread evident throughout the selection is the ability for the art that we love to reflect the life that we live.

David and Vivian Campbell in their home in Toronto, 1997,
with Picasso's Jacqueline tricottant. Image: Jeff Goode.

Andy Warhol 1928–1987

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Born Andrew Warhola in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to an impoverished immigrant family, Andy Warhol became an icon of the Pop Art movement and one of the most prolific artists of his time. Though he suffered from physical ailments throughout childhood, he went on to study fine arts at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and shortly thereafter moved to New York in 1949. His career in commercial illustration took off creating whimsical designs for Glamour, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and The New Yorker magazines. In the early 1950s, he began exhibiting his work in the city and received his first solo show at the Hugo Gallery in 1952 featuring his earliest depictions of actress Marilyn Monroe.

The 1960s ushered in a wave of his iconic work pioneering the dialogue between high and low art. His screen printed, painterly images established his reputation commenting on popular culture with subject matter including celebrities, politics, advertisements, and parties. In 1964, Warhol rented a studio that became known as “The Factory” where his work was mass produced by a team of assistants. During the middle of the decade, Warhol focused on filmmaking and performance art, creating approximately 600 films. He later collaborated with musicians including The Rolling Stones and The Velvet Underground, published several books, produced televisions shows, and founded Interview Magazine in 1967. After experiencing a near-fatal shooting at The Factory, he became more reserved and his body of work shifted into commissioned portraits, and in his final years he focused on religious subject matter. Andy Warhol died in New York City in 1987 after facing postoperative complications.

A few years following his death, The Andy Warhol Museum was opened in Pittsburgh and in 2002 Warhol’s achievements were honored with an 18-inch stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service.

Auction Results Andy Warhol

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estimate: $600,000–800,000

result: $673,100

Andy Warhol

Campbell's Soup I

estimate: $400,000–600,000

result: $481,250

Andy Warhol

Campbell's Soup II

estimate: $300,000–500,000

result: $381,000

Andy Warhol

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estimate: $200,000–300,000

result: $277,200

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