Andy Warhol’s shoes
Stemming from his time as a commercial artist, a complete portfolio of Warhol’s hand-coloured lithographs of shoe designs is about to go on sale at Sotheby’s
Andy Warhol’s early career as a commercial artist and illustrator is a well-documented precursor to his later artistic fame. In 1955 he was commissioned to produce weekly ads for shoe brand I Miller to run in the New York Times.
![Any one for shoes?](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-1.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=886)
![You can lead a shoe to water but you can’t make it drink](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-2.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=877)
![Dial M for shoe](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-3.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=887)
At the same time, Warhol produced self-published portfolio, prints and books of his own shoe designs. Warhol would enlist the help of his friends for ‘colouring parties’ to help him produce around 100 versions of each illustration. Captions, which often referenced popular culture, were created by the poet Ralph Pomeroy and written, in her distinctive hand, by Warhol’s mother Julia Warhola.
![Beauty is shoe, shoe beauty…](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-4.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=894)
![Shoe fly Baby](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-5.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=894)
![to shoe or not to shoe](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-6.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=894)
![I dream of jeannie with the light brown shoes](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-7.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=873)
![My shoe is your shoe](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-8.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=873)
On March 22 in London, Sotheby’s is selling a portfolio of 18 prints of these shoe designs, complete with the work Shoe and Leg, which was produced in 1955. It is estimated to fetch between £100,000 and £150,000. Details here
![Shoe of the evening, beautiful shoe](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-9.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=873)
![When I'm calling shoe](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-10.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=873)
![Shoe bright, shoe light, first shoe ive seen tonight](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-11.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=858)
![The autobiography of alice B. shoe](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-12.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=923)
![Uncle Sam wants Shoe!](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-13.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=923)
![In her sweet little alice blue shoes](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-14.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=923)
![Shoe and Leg](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-16.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=935&h=1200)
![Sunset and evening shoe](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-17.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=896)
![The complete set of prints from À la recherche du temps perdu](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-complete-portfolio.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=909&h=1200)
![Cover to the portfolio, À la recherche du temps perdu](https://creativereview.imgix.net/content/uploads/2016/03/Lot-136-Warhol-cover.jpg?auto=compress,format&q=60&w=1200&h=940)