Andy Warhol's Firehouse Studio in New York City Sells for Over $9 Million USD
The legendary artist created his ‘Death and Disaster’ series at this unconventional space.
Andy Warhol‘s first ever studio in New York City was recently sold for a whopping $9.9 million USD, as per artnet News. The Hook and Ladder building is located at 159 East 87th street in the Upper East Side region of Manhattan and was placed on the market this past April. Billionaire art dealer, Guy Wildenstein, once owned the bygone firehouse and was recently sentenced to two years in prison for tax fraud and money laundering.
Warhol purchased the unconventional, two-story abode back in 1962 because he presumably needed a place to store his vast artwork. According to BlouinArtInfo, Warhol was creating works at his mother’s apartment nearby and the firehouse was an ideal storage/working unit. “Canvases had begun to fill the ground floor apartment,” said the website. Having added that “Brillo boxes and Campbell’s soup cans were stacked to the ceilings.”
The pop art luminary created his infamous Death and Disaster series at the firehouse and used the space for approximately a year before moving to his notorious “Factory” in Midtown. According to Page Six, Warhol rented the 5,000 square foot space for just $150 USD a month from 1962-1963.
