Art history will be made in Bristol in July with the world’s first showing of the first known, recently discovered, painting by Andy Warhol. The portrait of American singer Rudy Vallée is thought to have been made by the artist while he was bed-ridden with chorea at the age of 11.
Drawn on a now tattered piece of paper, the RWA say that “whilst still child-like in many respects, the portrait demonstrates the early stages of flourishing artistic aptitude and the seminal elements of what would, 20 years down the line, become the basis of a hugely successful new artistic movement and Warhol’s unmistakable pop art style.”
Valued at $2 million, the piece was bought unknowingly for $5 at a garage sale in Las Vegas that included property from Edith Smith, Warhol’s former carer. The sketch was discovered inside a framed drawing of William Boyd as Hopalong Cassidy by Gertrude Stein, a Pittsburgh-born artist and writer who was painted by Warhol in later life.
If July is too long to wait until a visit to the RWA, the gallery is currently exhibiting the first exhibition of the collected relief engravings of Trevor Haddrell, featuring his painstakingly produced and remarkably intricate cityscapes, rooftop views and panoramas of Bristol and beyond from more than two decades of work.
