Warhol, Andy

25 leaves, unbound (11 x 8 1/2 in.; 279 x 216 mm).  Each leaf with offset reproduction of drawing by Warhol and Corkie's text in Warhol's calligraphic hand, on blue paper; light fading at edges, three small spots on right margin of first leaf; small chip at lower left corner of last leaf and restoration of lower right corner (not affecting image or text).

Reading Warhol pp. 81–84, 293

Condition as described in catalogue entry.
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.

ANDY WARHOL'S FIRST PRINTED BOOK. ONE OF APPROXIMATELY 100 COPIES. In Reading Warhol, Nina Schleif writes, "Our thesis here is that the first book to be printed, perhaps as early as 1952, is Love Is a Pink Cake. Warhol met author Ralph Thomas Ward … at the end of 1951, and the two men developed a creative friendship. Ward, who at the time went by the nickname Corkie, was a 'tall freewheeling poet and artist with curly brown hair.' He later made a modest name for himself as an author of history books. Yet in the spring of 1952 he first embarked on an immensely creative collaboration with Warhol, out of which came two published books and also, it seems, a number of manuscripts."

The book depicts bawdy but unhappy lovers: Chopin and George Sand, Bluebeard and Fatima, Othello and Desdemona ("The Moor of Venic pulled a boner, / When he throttled Desdemona"), Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh, and a young man "… beguiled / When he was a little child / By the author Oscar Wilde". The text is filled with misspellings and mistakes corrected in Warhol's hand ("Bluebread" for "Bluebeard," for example). Ward's rhymes are uneven and Warhol's script is a scrawl.  "Rarely have authors and illustrators intentionally and knowingly produced books with such 'mistakes,' or indeed turned them into a style" (Reading Warhol).

The present copy is comprised of loose sheets, but it is believed that at least half of the approximately 100 copies were stapled.  Many copies were issued with a plain wax paper cover with a small typed label (not present in this copy).

A VERY GOOD COPY OF LOVE IS A PINK CAKE, ANDY WARHOL'S DEBUT AS A BOOK ILLUSTRATOR.