Andy Warhol

Gift of the artist to the previous owner
Gifted from the above to the present owner

This work is in good condition and the collage is sound and stable. There is some evidence of wear to the edges which have yellowed slightly with age and which display small tears, particularly along the right edge. There is a 4 ½ in. scuff mark located 1 ¼ in. from the top edge and 1 in. from the left edge. There are spots of accretion scattered throughout, the most evident of which are located along the bottom edge, approximately 4 ½ in. from the right edge and at 2 ½ in. from the right edge and 9 ¾ in. from the bottom edge. The sheet is attached intermittently along the edges and framed in a gilt frame under Plexiglas.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Embellished and opulent, the present work is an ornate example of Andy Warhol's shoe drawings of the 1950's, revealing the artist's lifelong preoccupation with beautiful things. The lavish gold leaf domes and adorned surfaces of the orthodox churches at the center of Warhol's faith and heritage serve as the clear source of his predilection for the gold foil material that he would routinely incorporate into his drawings. The highly ornamental, filigreed detail of Warhol's Shoe, evokes the interior of St. John's Church in Pittsburgh, where Warhol worshipped until he departed for New York in 1949  and began designing sketches for Glamour Magazine and later for I. Miller Shoes. As the below story illustrates, Warhol would often execute elaborate shoe sketches for his friends and give them as gifts.

This work was formerly in the esteemed collection of Myron and Dione Guffey Kenzer, some of New York City's most prominent collectors from the 1950s to the 1970s.  After attending the Chicago Art Institute, Dione came to New York in 1950 and became the first Art Editor for the prominent advertising firm of J. Walter Thompson. Along with then firm president, Norman Strouse, she was responsible for amassing the firm's art collection as well as commissioning works from prominent artists to be given as Christmas gifts to the firm's top 300 clients each year. In 1956, she married Myron. The couple became close friends with many collectors and artists, including Margaret Silberstein and Andy Warhol, while simultaneously amassing an intelligent and important personal collection that revealed an uncanny sense for artistic value. Warhol met Dione when he first moved to New York and a few years later, when she married Myron, this work was his wedding gift to the couple.