Andy Warhol: who was the pop artist, what were his most famous portraits and how did he die?

New documentary, The Andy Warhol Diaries, is launching on Netflix in March. 
British actress Anne Lambton, American artist, director and producer Andy Warhol, and English painter and artist David Hockney, UK, 23rd June 1978. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)British actress Anne Lambton, American artist, director and producer Andy Warhol, and English painter and artist David Hockney, UK, 23rd June 1978. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
British actress Anne Lambton, American artist, director and producer Andy Warhol, and English painter and artist David Hockney, UK, 23rd June 1978. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

The six-episode limited series produced by Ryan Murphy, explores the personal life of the famous pop artist, and his struggles with his sexuality, skin condition and enemies.

So who was Andy Warhol? This is what you need to know.

Who was Andy Warhol?

Andrew Warhola Jr was born on 6 August 1928 in Pittsburgh, in the state of Pennsylvania.

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His parents, Andrej and Julia Warhola, bought him his first camera for his eight birthday.

Recognising Andy’s talent, Andrej saved money to pay for a college education.

Andy attended Carnegie Institute of Technology which is now known as Carnegie Mellon University.

He later became an artist and was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art.

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He directed and produced films in the 1960s, including Chelsea Girls and Salvador Dali.

He also wrote a handful of books, including The Philosophy of Andy Warhol and Popism: The Warhol Sixties.

The pop-artist had his own studio in New York, called The Factory, which became a popular social space for drag queens, playwrights, Bohemian street people and celebrities.

Andy lived openly as a gay man before the gay liberation movement began in the late 1960s.

What paintings was Andy Warhol famous for?

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His 1962 creation of Marilyn Diptych is considered to be one of his best paintings.

It was a tribute to actress Marilyn Monroe who died that year from an overdose.

He used the actress’s photograph from the movie Niagara, and drew 50 takes of it - using colour on the left side, and black and white on the right side of each image.

Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe which features in the galleryAndy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe which features in the gallery
Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe which features in the gallery

Another famous painting of his was Campbell’s Soup Cans.

The original was made up of 32 canvases showing the variety of the Campbell’s soups on sale at the time.

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When he first took the canvases to an exhibition in 1962, he displayed them as if they were products on the shelf of a supermarket.

The famous columns of the National Gallery of Scotland were wrapped with images of Campbell’s soup cans to mark the upcoming Andy Warhol exhibition, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the artist’s death, on 31 July 2007.The famous columns of the National Gallery of Scotland were wrapped with images of Campbell’s soup cans to mark the upcoming Andy Warhol exhibition, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the artist’s death, on 31 July 2007.
The famous columns of the National Gallery of Scotland were wrapped with images of Campbell’s soup cans to mark the upcoming Andy Warhol exhibition, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the artist’s death, on 31 July 2007.

Warhol was inspired by art dealer Ivan Karp to create the original Cow Wallpaper in 1966, which was a pink cow on a yellow background.

Later on, Warhol added more colour combinations - the brown cow with the blue background and the yellow cow with the blue background in 1971 and years later, the pink cow on the purple background in 1976.

Warhol was intrigued throughout his life with having a glamorous lifestyle, and in 1981 he created the neon-coloured Dollar Sign.

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The dollar sign was a painting to represent both wealth and art.

How did Andy Warhol die?

Andy Warhol died on 22 February 1987 in New York Presbyterian Hospital, at the age of 58.

He died of a cardiac arrest after  gallbladder surgery, which he had put off for several years due to his fear of hospitals.

In 1968, 19 years before his actual death, Andy was shot by Valerie Solanas. He briefly died but doctors revived him.

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However, he suffered major internal injuries meaning he would have to wear a surgical corset for the rest of his life.

Solanas shot Warhol outside of his studio in New York, after believing he had stolen the scripts to the play she had written.

She also shot art critic Mario Amaya, and attempted to shoot Warhol’s  manager, Fred Hughes.

Solana turned herself in to the police and was charged with attempted murder, assault and illegal possession of a gun.

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However, she only served three years in prison due to being diagnosed with schizophrenia and pleading guilty.

When is The Andy Warhol Diaries coming to Netflix?

The Andy Warhol Diaries launches on Netflix today (Wednesday, March 9, 2022).

The Netflix series is based on the 1989 book Warner Books first published after his death.

It was a diary written by Warhol and edited by his frequent collaborator and long-time friend, Pat Hackett.

Warhol began to document his life after he was shot in 1967.

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