Andy Warhol

acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas
185 by 102cm.
Executed in 1976.

Mayor Gallery, London
São Schlumberger (acquired directly from the above)
By descent to the present owner from the above

Caroline Tisdall, "Cool Cat," The Guardian, London, July 5, 1976, illustrated
Susan Anderson, "David Hicks at Clos Fiorentina," Architectural Digest, January 1978, illustrated
Neil Printz and Sally King-Nero, eds., The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné: Paintings and Sculptures, Volume 4, 1974-1976, New York, 2014, cat. no. 3204, pp. 362, 387 and 565, illustrated in color

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of light wear and handling along the edges, including some light hairline craquelure at the pull margins. There is a light surface abrasion at the lower right corner. There is evidence of light surface soiling visible under close inspection. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, there is an accretion at the upper left which fluoresces brightly, but there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed.
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.

Emerging from a sumptuous gray cloud with his luxurious black coat radiating an electric golden glow, Andy Warhol’s subject cat, Broadway, is poised for the perfect pounce. Crouching down, tail flicked to the right, spruce green eyes piercingly alert yet ever so slightly restrained, Broadway becomes the epitome of Warhol’s unrivaled talent for capturing a fleeting moment hours, days, or weeks after it had actually occurred. Broadway’s livelihood is further enhanced by the starkly contrasted white shadow which is imbued with a material presence. Unlike the translucency of the majority of Warhol’s earlier silkscreens, the surface of Cats and Dogs (Broadway) is thickly painted in lush sweeps of gestural brushstrokes, evocative of his earlier hand-painted pictures.

While São Schlumberger was an avid collector, acquiring multiple artists’ work in depth, Andy Warhol was undoubtedly her favorite—and he, naturally, was just as enamored with São. Bob Colacello recalled, “São Schlumberger was one of a rare breed: a rich woman with a mind of her own. Half Portuguese, half German, she refused to follow the Paris pack, no matter how much it made the other ladies tittle-tattle. She loved her couture and her jewels as much as they loved theirs, but she also loved art and artists.” (Neil Printz and Sally King Nero, Eds., The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné Paintings and Sculptures, Volume 3, 1970-1974, New York, 2010, p. 413). After painting her portraits—forever immortalizing São as the always-glamorous darling of Parisian society—Warhol and São maintained an immensely close relationship dotted with various intercontinental rendezvouses, strengthening their admiration for one another.

Executed in 1976 and sold before its intended debut at the Mayor Gallery in London in the same year, the present work was only one of six large-format cat paintings, and just one of four using this screen. Dedicated To São on the reverse, Cats and Dogs (Broadway) underscores the mutual love that exists between artist and patron and set the tone for further animal portrait commissions to come.