Warhol Women | Brigitte Bardot

Andy Warhol met Brigitte Bardot’s third husband, Gunter Sachs, in May of 1967 while in Cannes to promote his film Chelsea Girls. Having learned on his arrival that no screenings of the film had actually been arranged, Warhol and his entourage—which included the German singer and actress Nico, the French-American artist Ultra Violet, and the American model International Velvet—made it their job to have a good time. [1]

Noticing the prominent West German heir Sachs with a group of friends at the Gorilla Bar, Warhol introduced himself and invited the group back to his hotel room to see his film. Intrigued by Warhol’s work, Sachs—who had until then collected mainly French Nouveau Réalistes and Informel artists [2]—invited Warhol to dinner at his Saint-Tropez house. It was there that the artist met Bardot for the first time. Later, he recalled, “She came downstairs and entertained us like a good European hostess and I couldn’t get over how sweet that was—to be Brigitte Bardot and still bother to make your guests comfortable.” [3]

Sachs and Bardot later hosted the Warhol crowd at a party that flowed between their house and their yacht. Ultra Violet remembered the evening in a 2011 interview:

“’We were swimming and drinking champagne. Bardot was outstanding. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. She looked like a goddess, and Gunter was much in love. This was a new affair for them. Warhol was impressed by the whole setup. Of course, he was a celebrity hound. […] Bardot was so gracious, and when she danced all eyes were on her. She didn’t jiggle, she had grace. I think Gunter probably ordered the portrait then. That’s all I remember, but you can make something good up and say I said it.’” [4]

Sachs commissioned eight portraits of himself, and eight of Bardot. For the Bardot portraits he supplied a reproduction of a 1959 Richard Avedon portrait of his wife that he cut from a magazine. [5] The commission was only completed eight years later, in 1974. The couple had divorced in 1969. [6]

In honor of our exhibition Warhol Women, we’re sharing some of the stories behind the artist’s iconic portraits. Visit the Happenings page each week to read more!

Notes:

[1] Glenn O’Brien, “And Warhol Created Bardot,” Warhol: Bardot (London and New York: Gagosian Gallery, 2011), exhibition catalog, 17.
[2] Glenn O’Brien, “And Warhol Created Bardot,” Warhol: Bardot (London and New York: Gagosian Gallery, 2011), exhibition catalog, 18.
[3] Andy Warhol, with Pat Hackett, POPism: The Warhol Sixties (New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovitch, 1980), quoted in Glenn O’Brien, “And Warhol Created Bardot,” Warhol: Bardot (London and New York: Gagosian Gallery, 2011), exhibition catalog, 17.
[4] Ultra Violet interviewed in Glenn O’Brien, “And Warhol Created Bardot,” Warhol: Bardot (London and New York: Gagosian Gallery, 2011), exhibition catalog, 18.
[5] Glenn O’Brien, “And Warhol Created Bardot,” Warhol: Bardot (London and New York: Gagosian Gallery, 2011), exhibition catalog, 22.
[6] Glenn O’Brien, “And Warhol Created Bardot,” Warhol: Bardot (London and New York: Gagosian Gallery, 2011), exhibition catalog, 20.