Warhol Women | Judy Garland

In the spring of 1965, the film and TV producer Lester Persky hosted an event at the Factory that he called the “Fifty Most Beautiful People” party. One of the beautiful people in attendance was Judy Garland, as Warhol later recalled in POPism:

“I watched as five boys carried her in off the elevator on their shoulders. It was odd because that night, for some reason, nobody seemed to notice her. I noticed her, though. I always noticed Judy Garland.” [1]

Transfixed by celebrity, tragedy, and nostalgia, Warhol’s fascinations converged in Judy Garland. Born Frances Ethel Gumm in 1922 in a small Minnesota town, Garland began her life in showbusiness as a toddler, participating in a song-and-dance routine with her sisters, performed at the junction of Highways 169 and 2. [2] She signed to MGM as a teenager, and built an illustrious career on the strength of her talent as a singer and actress, receiving ten Emmy nominations for her television work, and recording 24 albums—all while being a mother to three children. But her personal life was dogged by challenges and tragedies: Garland divorced four times and struggled with substance abuse. At the age of 47, she died from an accidental overdose of prescription drug medication. [3]

Though some said that the “Fifty Most Beautiful People” party marked the change from the era of (Hollywood) stars to the era of (Warhol-made) ‘Superstars’ because, “there were more people staring at Edie [Sedgwick] than at Judy,” Warhol argued that Edie and Judy were more alike than people might have thought:

“Edie and Judy had something in common—a way of getting everyone totally involved in their problems. […] They had dramas going right around the clock, and everybody loved to help them through it all. The problems made them more attractive.” [4]

Unlike the portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, Warhol didn’t paint Garland in the period surrounding her death (or in Taylor’s case, near-death), but instead the artist waited until ten years after she died—a waiting period that has been described as, “emphasizing Warhol’s insistence on the link between fame and nostalgia.” [5]

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] Andy Warhol, with Pat Hackett, POPism: The Warhol Sixties (New York: Harcourt, Inc., 1980), 126-127.
[2] “Judy’s Life,” Judy Garland Museum, website, https://www.judygarlandmuseum.com/judys-life.
[3] “Judy’s Life,” Judy Garland Museum, website, https://www.judygarlandmuseum.com/judys-life.
[4] Andy Warhol, with Pat Hackett, POPism: The Warhol Sixties, (New York: Harcourt, Inc., 1980), 132-133.
[5] Christie’s, lot essay, “Andy Warhol, Judy Garland, (executed in 1978; executed circa 1979)” Post-War and Contemporary Art Evening Sale, London, February 6, 2008. https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/andy-warhol-1928-1987-judy-garland-5037922-details.aspx.