Andy Warhol Foundation & Christie's "Better Days" Auction Provides Relief to Artists

Christie’s and the Andy Warhol Foundation have teamed up to provide emergency relief to artists in need during the pandemic with their upcoming sale “Andy Warhol: Better Days.” The collection is made up of 60 original photographs by Andy Warhol, who often used photography as a basis for his artwork and was well-known for documenting New York during the ’70s and ’80s. From self-portraits to images of flowers — a motif he turned to for inspiration time and time again — the collection showcases Warhol’s ability to capture the beauty of everyday life.

Standouts from the sale include a self-portrait of the artist, which is estimated to fetch up to $50,000 USD and a polaroid print of Warhol and Belgian-born curator Henry Geldzahler, estimated to sell for up to $20,000 USD. Warhol’s miniature Dachshunds named Archie and Amos star in a range of polaroids, while natural landscapes and fields of tulips are the focus of many others. Each photograph was chosen for its ability to “transport the viewer to better days, conveying the splendor of being outdoors and the simple pleasures associated with human interaction,” the foundation said.

Check out a few polaroids included in “Andy Warhol: Better Days” above. The online auction will run from April 28 to May 6 on Christie’s website.

In other news, Sotheby’s is launching a “pop-up” online auction of the largest Manga assemblage ever to be offered at auction in Hong Kong.