French Literature Reviews - 2026

A. Danto, Andy Warhol
Art and Visual Culture

Arthur C. Danto, Andy Warhol

Paris: Les Belles Lettres, coll. "Le goût des idées", 2011.

160 p. 13€

EAN 9782251200125.

Publisher's description:

In this brilliant and concise essay, philosopher and art critic Arthur Danto explores the myriad personal, artistic, and philosophical metamorphoses of Andy Warhol (1928–1987). Danto traces the evolution of the pop art icon from his earliest creations and relationships with fellow artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg, to the "Factory phenomenon." He offers an insightful reading of Warhol's oeuvre, analyzing its socio-historical context, philosophical dimension, and the fundamental differences between Warhol and his predecessors—most notably Marcel Duchamp—as well as drawing parallels with successors like Jeff Koons.
While bringing Warhol's era back to life, Danto paints the portrait of an artist in perpetual transformation whose multiple facets—political activist, filmmaker, writer, and even philosopher—helped establish him as a foundational figure in American and broader Western culture. The secret to Warhol's triumph? Knowing how to "sublimate the tastes and values of the average American" and "turn the most everyday objects into avant-garde works of art."

Contents:

Preface
Acknowledgments
Note on Notes

1. The Bonwit Teller Window
2. Pop Art, Politics, and the Gap Between Art and Life
3. The Brillo Box
4. Moving Images
5. The First Death
6. Andy Warhol Enterprises
7. Religion and Common Experience

Bibliography
Index

Arthur C. Danto approaches Warhol not merely as a pioneer of pop art, but as a complex intellectual figure whose work fundamentally challenged traditional definitions of high and low culture. Placed within the broader tradition of twentieth-century art criticism, the book investigates how everyday commercial objects were elevated into avant-garde artifacts. Danto examines Warhols relationship with predecessors like Marcel Duchamp and successors such as Jeff Koons, highlighting the philosophical implications of transforming mundane items, such as the famous Brillo Box, into recognized art.

This concise study serves as a valuable resource for students and enthusiasts of art history, philosophy, and visual culture seeking to understand the socio-historical currents of post-war America. By analyzing Warhols multifaceted career as a filmmaker, writer, and political presence, Danto addresses enduring questions regarding the boundary between art and everyday life. Readers interested in the theoretical underpinnings of modern aesthetics and the mechanics of artistic legacy will find this essay particularly illuminating.