Andy Warhol

For a painting apparently about „nothing“, Warhol‘s Campbell‘s Soup Cans sent shockwaves through the art community and altered the direction of art history. Created in a flurry of inspiration in 1962, Warhol first exhibited the 32 canvasses in Irving Blum‘s Ferus Gallery in Los Angeles. Lined up side-by-side on small shelves as though displayed in a shop, their appearance caused a sensation. The actor Dennis Hopper bought one for $100 and other members of the art and film scene were captivated by the show. To some, the paintings were obnoxious and deserving of derision. A neighboring gallery, in protest against Warhol’s presumed gall, offered real Campbell‘s Soup Cans for sale at 60 cents apiece. Blum bought back the five paintings he had already sold and purchased the entire set for $1000, paying Warhol, who was delighted with the price, in $100 installments.

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