Andy Warhol - Louis Brandeis 230 (Unique)

Louis Brandeis 230 (Unique) by Andy Warhol

Louis Brandeis, as depicted in Louis Brandeis 230, was an American lawyer and the first Jewish person to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court in 1916. After graduating from Harvard Law School, Brandeis made a name for himself by championing socially progressive issues and became known as “the people’s attorney.” His writings on individual rights of privacy was a new concept and has had lasting impacts on American society. Brandeis later became involved in the Zionist movement. His legacy lives on both through the profound impact he had on the United States Supreme Court, as well as Brandeis University, which was named for the justice and established in 1948.

Louis Brandeis 230 (Unique) by Andy Warhol is a part of his Ten Portraits of Jews of the 20th Century Complete Portfolio. Brandeis’ championing of privacy is an interesting contrast to Warhol’s fascination in pop culture and celebrities. It is noted that Warhol’s portraiture tends to reveal only the surface of a subject. In this series of portraits, the type of celebrity Warhol deals with is not so glamorous or typical of his usual pick of movie or rock stars.