ANDY WARHOL 'Brillo Soap Pads' (1970) Rare Original Serigraph Print

ANDY WARHOL 'Brillo Soap Pads' (1970) Rare Original Serigraph Print'Brillo Soap Pads' by Andy Warhol, 1970 A rare serigraph poster print promoting the artist's exhibit. Pasadena Art Museum (now the Norton Simon Museum), 12 May 21 June, 1970. Based on Warhol's iconic 'Brillo Box' museum display from 1964. 30 x 26 Inches 76 x 66 Centimeters Early original serigraph print in colours on thick, wove fine art paper. The full sheet, printed to the edges. Published and copyrighted by the Pasadena Art Museum, 1970. Text lower

'Brillo Soap Pads' by Andy Warhol, 1970
A rare serigraph poster print promoting the artist's exhibit.
Pasadena Art Museum (now the Norton Simon Museum), 12 May – 21 June, 1970.
Based on Warhol's iconic 'Brillo Box' museum display from 1964.
30 x 26 Inches
76 x 66 Centimeters
Early original serigraph print in colours on thick, wove fine art paper.
The full sheet, printed to the edges.
Published and copyrighted by the Pasadena Art Museum, 1970.
Text lower right reads; "Copyright 1970 POL N°94".
*Note: Very good original condition, especially considering age.

ABOUT THE ART

The Andy Warhol (1928-1987) 'Brillo Soap Pads' poster from 1970 is a vivid example of Warhol’s fascination with the intersection of commercial design and fine art. Created for his retrospective at the Pasadena Art Museum, the work reimagines the everyday packaging of Brillo soap pads—a humble household product—as a bold and iconic image. Through the use of industrial typography, advertising slogans, and saturated colors, Warhol blurs the line between consumer culture and artistic expression, elevating mass-produced imagery into the realm of high art.

At its core, the poster encapsulates Warhol’s exploration of repetition, branding, and the seductive power of marketing. The familiar commercial phrases like “3¢ OFF” and “Shines Aluminum Fast” are presented not as functional advertisements but as aesthetic components of the artwork itself. By appropriating such language and imagery, Warhol invites viewers to reconsider what constitutes originality, value, and authenticity in art. The use of mechanical screenprinting further reinforces his commentary on mass production, echoing the techniques of the consumer industries he depicted.

This piece also reflects Andy Warhol’s ironic and playful relationship with American culture during a time of rapid commercialization. While it celebrates the visual language of consumer goods, it simultaneously critiques the superficiality of modern consumption. The Brillo Soap Pads poster transforms a common product label into a cultural artifact, symbolizing Warhol’s belief that art could—and should—reflect the world of ordinary objects and popular imagery that surrounded contemporary life.