The Autobiography of a Snake: Drawings by Andy Warhol

The first-time publication of rediscovered drawings by Andy Warhol, telling the story of a cheeky, stylish snake and the glittering constellation of celebrities that surrounds him

This is the never-before-published story of a snake trying to make it in the world of high society, strongly suggested to be a stand-in for Warhol himself. The snake’s tongue-in-cheek observations as he slithers from adorning Jackie Kennedy’s boots to embellishing Coco Chanel’s shirt will delight the sophisticated fashion crowd. But the stars of the show are Warhol’s whimsical illustrations, revivified with a colour scheme inspired by his iconic Pop Art.

Before he achieved his dream of making it big in New York, Andy Warhol worked in advertising for a leather goods company, Fleming-Joffe, alongside Ogden Nash and Piero Fornasetti. It was for Fleming-Joffe that he created these images, held by the Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and rarely seen until this publication. The Autobiography of a Snake is a brilliant portrait of Warhol’s obsessions, his talent, and the world he would one day conquer.

Andy Warhol remains one of the best-loved artists of all time. Before he found his huge fame, Warhol was a successful fashion illustrator and graphic designer. One of his earliest clients was the leather goods company Fleming-Joffe Ltd, owned by Teddy and Arthur Edelman, who in 1963 commissioned the drawings for this book.