Andy Warhol

Mr. and Mrs. Jacob and Bronka Weintraub, New York (acquired directly from the artist in 1986)
Private Collection, New York
Sotheby's, New York, Wednesday, May 14, 2003, lot 259
Nicholas Sands & Co. Fine Art, New York (acquired from the above sale)
Private Collection, New York

Tony Shafrazi et. al., Andy Warhol Portraits, London, 2007, pp. 286 and 309, illustrated 
Jacob Weintraub, Jacob’s Ladder: From the Bottom of the Warsaw Ghetto to the Top of New York’s Art World, An Autobiography, London, 1994, illustrated on the cover

This work is in very good condition overall. There is evidence of light wear and handling along the edges and corners. Under close inspection, a few minor and unobtrusive pinpoint accretions are visible. Under Ultraviolet light inspection, 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.

Warhol met the legendary art dealer Jacob Weintraub through their mutual friend Carlo Bilotti, the cosmetics magnate and art collector who became one of his great patrons. An instant rapport was struck between the two and Weintraub commissioned five portraits from Andy: four of his wife Bronka and one of himself (the present work). As David Norman, Vice Chairman of Sotheby’s wrote in the 2002 introduction for the sale of property from the Weintraub collection: “I met the Weintraubs while Jacob was working on his autobiography. He was a remarkable tale of a man who survived in the Warsaw Ghetto and then came to America, with no resources or background in art, to become one of the most successful art dealers of his generation. During Jacob’s early years as a dealer, he mounted some of the most impressive exhibitions of German art to be seen in New York at the time…. Jacob and Bronka were fixtures on Madison Avenue and in the art world. They not only represented some of the most major sculptors of the mid-century such as Henry Moore but befriended them as well. They were great practitioners of philanthropy, almost continually working for and donating to charities of their choice, and kept an active pace well into their eighties. The Weintraubs were colorful and charming, befriending people all over the world. Jacob was always nattily dressed in a three-piece suit, ready with a story and some hard-earned wisdom. His business advice to me was always imparted through some analogy of romantic conquest. Bronka was fiercely protective of him.... They could also be maddeningly stubborn and notoriously tough. There were days I was embraced as a son, and others where I came within a hair’s breath of being bodily ejected—and I rarely knew what made the difference. It was a rite of passage to be shown the door at the Weintraub Gallery…” 

Occupying a proud place in their magnificent Fifth Avenue apartment overlooking the Metropolitan Museum, the present work greeted illustrious guests from all fields of culture (music, art, theater, politics) as the first thing they saw upon the opening of the front door. With its raised eyebrows suggesting an air of aloofness and calm self-assurance, and a classic pose—hand under chin—reminiscent of one of Warhol’s own self-portraits (1967), the portrait perfectly captures the personality of a man who came from humble origins to achieve fame in the art world (just as Warhol did). Pleased as he was by the image he created for this portrait, Warhol selected it for further use in developing a style of portraiture in which he randomly combined patches of color: he secretly made, unbeknownst to Weintraub, a second version of this portrait for himself (sold by the Warhol Foundation at auction in 2012, unsigned). A similar pose and sartorial elegance is found in Warhol’s portrait of Giorgio Armani.

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