The painting, exhibited at the bidding of the former secretary of the artist, is estimated at 1-1,5 million

Nov. 11 at the New York auction of contemporary art Sotheby's will be a self-portrait of Andy Warhol (Andy Warhol), estimated at 1-1,5 million dollars. More than 40 years spent painting in the collection Neyso Cathy (Cathy Naso), received her gift from the artist himself.

In 1965, Kathy and her girlfriend, while studying in senior classes of the New York Central School of Art and Design, received a task: to write an essay in French. The theme could choose any. In his spare time, students at the school often went to galleries - as Neyso said, "they were my universities" - and as Andy Warhol was a "center of art-world", the girls decided to write about it. They went to the gallery of Leo Castelli (Leo Castelli), then the dealer of the artist. To their great surprise, deputy director of the gallery, Ivan Karp (Ivan Karp), listening to their request, immediately called Warhol and asked if he could give an interview. Soon the girls went to the studio's famous Factory ( «Factory »).

On the day Warhol and his assistants worked on an experimental book under the name «a, A Novel» ( «a: Roman"), consisting of the decoded audio recordings of conversations and monologues. The novel was to be a chronicle of 24 hours in the life of one of "Warhol superstars" - actor Robert Olivo (Robert Olivo), nicknamed Ondin (Ondine, «Ondine"). When the girls entered the studio, Ondin gave an interview to another habitues "Factory", poet and photographer Gerard Malang (Gerard Malanga). According to the memoirs Neyso, someone said that the artist wants to find young girls who would be able to answer calls at the reception. Ondin suggested this work Kathy and her friend, and they, of course, agreed.

During the next two years, all weekends and holidays they spent in the "Factory". Work they are not paid, but the girls did not complain. They both liked Warhol's studio, which, as recalled by the artist himself in his book POPism, «they must have specially worked slowly to longer hang out at the" Factory ". There they saw many interesting people, including secular lioness Edie Sedgwick (Edie Sedgwick) and members of famous rock group the Rolling Stones and Velvet Underground.

Inhabitants studio named Katie and her girlfriend "supersekretarshami. "Everything in those days received the prefix" super "", - says Neyso. Her duties included not only respond to calls, and decipher the tapes. Once she decided to go in this house, and her mother, overheard record, she was horrified - in the words of Kathy, "there is probably someone talked about drugs" - and confiscated the tape. Ask her back Neyso ventured only twenty years later.

artist was for girls this idol and role model - "If Andy ate yogurt, then we ate yogurt. In his free time, Kathy led talk. "Actually, Andy was very good, it was for us a real patron - she recalls. - Like most teenagers, I wanted to run away from home, but he dissuaded me».

Warhol good thanked Kathy for their hard work. He gave her a small painting of flowers, as well as a self-portrait, which she had gathered today to sell at Sotheby's. While working on this painting the artist Neyso asked what colors she like best, and it (still not realizing that the work is for it) called the red and violet. Warhol put a picture dedication: «To Cathy ♥ (2 years late)» ( «To Cathy ♥ (with a delay of 2 years )»).

Kathy Neyso now lives in Connecticut. First Warhol painting hung in her kitchen, but then she decided to hide it in the closet. According Neyso, she was afraid that the picture is stolen. Head of Contemporary Art Sotheby's Tobias Meyer (Tobias Meyer) said that for a long stay in the closet has provided a very good safety colors. In addition, the picture never stretched on a frame, but was kept under glass.

«I would like to leave [now] itself, but it belongs to the world of art - said Neyso. - I took care of her very. And I would like to one who gets this job, too, its shore ».

Material prepared Yulia Maximova , AI

Sources: nytimes.com , artinvestment.ru