Andy Warhol - Campbell's Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew (FS II.60)

Original Campbell's Soup Cans Print by Andy Warhol

Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew 60 by Andy Warhol is one of ten prints included in his second Campbell’s Soup Cans Complete Portfolio, published in 1969. This print is part of a continuation of Campbell’s Soup Cans I from 1968. Published seven years after his original 32 Campbell’s Soup Cans paintings, this new portfolio focused on more uncommon flavors, each of which has their own unique labels. With their revolutionary design and conceptual style, Warhol’s pop-art style soup cans took the art world by storm. The bold images initially shocked artists and critics when Andy debuted them at his first solo exhibition. Many people saw the work as grossly appropriative. However, the exhibition was an ultimate success, as many people liked his work and the controversy helped him gain traction. Through the mixed reviews, they remain as some of the most provocative pieces of modern art history.

To create his own brand of Art, Warhol appropriated well-known objects of consumer culture and transformed them into fine art. Warhol took the simple design and blew it up to a 35 x 32 inch print, with its flat and bold composition. The work indicates Warhol’s early style, in which he would often tempt audiences to question common notions of artistic value. The Campbell’s Soup Cans challenged what could be deemed socially and artistically acceptable, ultimately changing the trajectory of art history.

Warhol’s prints like Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew are ultimately is one of the most iconic images of modern art, which Warhol used to convey his thoughts on the world of consumerism and advertisement. Warhol created similar works by appropriating images of household products such as Coca-Cola and Brillo Boxes. Warhol’s use of repetition adds to the advertisement style, resembling the look of billboards and the spirit of mass-production.