Andy Warhol

Sources: The Andy Warhol Museum: life and practice, The Andy Warhol Museum: conservation of the Oxidation paintings, The Andy Warhol Museum: Silver Liz, Buffalo AKG Art Museum: 100 Cans, casein and spray paint, Whitney Museum: Large Sleep, MoMA: Campbell’s Soup Cans, MoMA: Heinz Tomato Ketchup Box [Prototype], and The Andy Warhol Museum: film and video.

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  Acrylic paint

  MoMA’s record for Campbell’s Soup Cans lists acrylic paint alongside metallic enamel on the canvas panels. Acrylic is therefore documented as one component of the painted surface, not as the only medium in the series. The material combination differs from Warhol’s later oil-on-canvas Mao and his casein works.

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  Oil paint

  The Art Institute of Chicago catalogs Warhol’s Mao (1972) as oil on canvas. The portrait belongs to his repeated image series, but the collection record supports oil as the paint medium and does not attribute its image transfer process to the oil itself. This example contrasts with his acrylic-and-enamel painted panels.

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  Enamel paint

  MoMA records metallic enamel in Campbell’s Soup Cans, alongside acrylic on canvas. The named enamel medium documents a manufactured coating within Warhol’s fine-art painting practice. It is distinct from the acrylic also listed for the work and from the casein paint recorded in 100 Cans.

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  Metallic paint

  MoMA identifies metallic enamel in Campbell’s Soup Cans, documenting Warhol’s use of a reflective paint material within the series. The record also lists acrylic, so metallic paint should be understood as one part of a combined painted surface rather than as the work’s sole medium. Other Warhol examples use oil or casein.

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  Casein paint

  Buffalo AKG records casein in Warhol’s 100 Cans, and the Met identifies casein in Dr. Scholl’s Corns. The records document this paint across distinct works and material combinations. Casein is separate from the acrylic and metallic enamel listed in Campbell’s Soup Cans.

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  Spray paint

  Buffalo AKG catalogs spray paint with casein and pencil on cotton in Warhol’s 100 Cans. That record documents spray paint as one material in a mixed-media work, distinct from the acrylic and metallic enamel on the Campbell’s Soup Cans panels. The source specifies both the paint and cotton support.

Sources: MoMA: Gold Marilyn Monroe; MoMA: Campbell’s Soup Cans.; Buffalo AKG Art Museum: 100 Cans, casein and spray paint; The Met: Dr. Scholl’s Corns, casein and wax crayon; Art Institute of Chicago: Mao, oil on canvas; MoMA: Andy Warhol

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  Canvas

  Warhol used canvas for paintings and screenprinted works, including MoMA’s Gold Marilyn Monroe and his Mao series. Collection records distinguish this stretched support from the cotton fabric used in 100 Cans and from his work on paper. Canvas carries both painted and printed imagery in his practice.

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  Cotton

  Buffalo AKG records cotton as the support for 100 Cans, whose materials include casein, spray paint, and pencil. Naming cotton preserves the collection’s specific textile identification rather than treating every fabric support as canvas. The work documents Warhol’s use of a flexible cloth ground for a mixed-media image.

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  Linen

  Museum records identify linen supports in Warhol’s painted works, distinct from the cotton support used for 100 Cans. Linen’s visible weave belongs to the physical surface of those works. The cited Warhol Foundation records provide examples of paintings on linen and document the support as part of the object’s materials.

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  Paper

  Warhol also made works on paper, using printmaking and hand-applied media in different pieces. The Warhol Foundation collection records document this support alongside canvas and fabric, while the Whitney’s holdings provide institutional examples. Paper belongs to his broader image-making practice, but it should not be conflated with his large silkscreen canvases.

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  Wood

  Warhol’s painted wood appears in the Brillo Boxes, which are sculptural objects rather than ordinary paintings. Museum and foundation records document their plywood construction and painted surfaces. This support therefore represents his three-dimensional work and should be distinguished from canvas supports used for his paintings.

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  Plexiglass

  Warhol used Plexiglass in selected works and display constructions, where transparent acrylic forms part of the object’s material structure. Warhol Foundation documentation records examples of the medium, while museum collections identify related works. This is a specialized support or structural surface in his practice, not a general substitute for canvas.

Sources: The Andy Warhol Museum: life and practice, The Andy Warhol Museum: conservation of the Oxidation paintings, The Andy Warhol Museum: Silver Liz, Buffalo AKG Art Museum: 100 Cans, casein and spray paint, Whitney Museum: Large Sleep.