“All I ever really want is sugar.”
—Andy WarholWarhol’s notorious sweet tooth manifests in these drawings of desserts, offering a perfectly pastel cake in Untitled (Cake) and an eccentrically elegant ice cream cone with Melorange Glacé. Depicted in the same distinct style as his early commercial illustrations, these treats are reminiscent of those served at Warhol’s favorite sweet shop, the fashionable-yet-kitschy café Serendipity 3. Among the cacophony of eclectic décor, Warhol would host coloring parties for his illustrations, with the artist and friends indulging in the café’s over-the-top desserts; the extravagant lemon icebox pie and goblet of frozen hot chocolate were Warhol’s personal favorites. As a struggling artist in the 1950s, Warhol often sold his fanciful illustrations of shoes in exchange for his meals, running up quite a tab: in 1957, he spent $1,900.95 (over $21,000 in 2024 when adjusting for inflation) at the quirky cafe.
“You take some chocolate... and you take two pieces of bread... and you put the candy in the middle and you make a sandwich of it. And that would be cake.”
—Andy WarholUntitled (Cake) and Melorange Glacé are drawings related to Wild Raspberries (lot 69 in the present sale), a satirical cookbook of recipes written by his friend Julia Frankfurt for which he provided the illustrations. Decorated with an accumulation of purple and pink flowers, a ring of doves, a garland of heart-shaped cherries, and a dainty bow to top it all off, Warhol’s present illustration of cake is much more imaginative and involved than his personal cake recipe. Though perhaps not the savviest in the kitchen, Warhol’s early drawings of confectionary creations shine as star examples of his illustrative prowess, sketching up beautifully delicate and whimsical images that are good enough to eat.
