You Can Lead A Shoe To Water But You Can’t Make It Drink
You Can Lead A Shoe To Water But You Can’t Make It Drink
Unsigned Print
Andy Warhol
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23 x 33cm, Edition of 100, Lithograph
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Meaning & Analysis
Andy Warhol produced this small lithograph early in his career. In this particular example, a peachy pink high heel is the subject of the composition. White paisley designs adorn the upper, and a double strap crosses the top. Beneath the shoe, the altered saying “you can lead a shoe to water but you can’t make it drink.” has been inscribed in a lower-case cursive hand. The same hand has initialed “a.w.” on the outside of the heel.
As the sole illustrator for I. Miller shoe manufacturer, Warhol spent several years making weekly ads for the New York Times. Warhol and his friends hand-coloured the prints, making each individual in an edition unique. The cursive hand across the series belongs to his mother, Julia Warhola, who transcribed many of the captions. The series title, La Recherche du Shoe Perdu, references Marcel Proust’s magnum opus, In Search Of Lost Time. This whimsical lithograph from Warhol’s early years demonstrates his humor and wit that would be demonstrated throughout his career.
Andy Warhol was a leading figure of the Pop Art movement and is often considered the father of Pop Art. Born in 1928, Warhol allowed cultural references of the 20th century to drive his work. From the depiction of glamorous public figures, such as Marilyn Monroe, to the everyday Campbell’s Soup Can, the artist challenged what was considered art by blurring the boundaries between high art and mass consumerism. Warhol's preferred screen printing technique further reiterated his obsession with mass culture, enabling art to be seen as somewhat of a commodity through the reproduced images in multiple colour ways.
