Andy Warhol - Campbell's Soup Cans I: Cream of Mushroom (FS II.53)

Original Campbell's Soup Cans Print by Andy Warhol

Campbell’s Soup Cans I: Cream of Mushroom 53 by Andy Warhol is one of ten screenprints from his 1968 Campbell’s Soup Cans I portfolio. The print itself is very straightforward in its design, color, and symmetrical shape. As a concept, the print reflects Warhol’s fascination with mass production and the culture of advertisement. In 1962, Andy shocked the public with his original soup can paintings, 32 Campbell’s Soup Cans, which debuted at the Ferus gallery in Los Angeles. The print portfolio that Warhol published six years later draws directly from this groundbreaking work, and remains amongst his most valuable portfolios of all time.

When it comes to works like Campbell’s Soup Cans I: Cream of Mushroom, it is likely that people will always debate the artistic value in Warhol’s art, just as they did in 1962. However, the impact he made on the culture of art is undeniable. With the soup cans, Warhol sought to challenge common perceptions of art and rethink the concept of artistic value. Specifically, the work deviated from historically accepted artistic subject matter. For Warhol, these subjects were outdated, and focusing on them meant ignoring the splendor of the current historical moment. Instead, he asked what was really authentic and important to the present culture. He saw things like mass-production, factories, and the fruits of industrial society as the most direct reflection of contemporary human life. Ubiquitous objects were not boring to him, but famous, just like celebrities.