This catalogue has been produced to coincide with an exhibition of the same name at the Jablonka Gallery in Köln in early summer 2000. It is beautifully illustrated in colour and includes a personal view of Warhol’s portraits by Bob Colacello, who worked alongside Warhol at the Factory for 12 years.

During this time Warhol painted nearly 1000 portraits of socialites, tycoons, politicians, artists, art dealers, fashion designers, athletes, rock stars and anyone else who was willing to pay $25,000 for a 40-inch-square-silkscreen-and-acrylic-on canvas picture of themselves.

Most of the New York art world, which during the 1970s was infatuated with Conceptual Art and left-wing causes, reacted to Andy’s commissioned portrait work with outrage and jealousy, calling it embarrassing, reactionary, frivolous and commercial beyond critical redemption.