Warhol art found in Amesbury attic
Previously unknown works by pop art icon Andy Warhol were unearthed in an Amesbury attic and will be auctioned off next month.
“I’m trudging along, it’s 150 degrees in the attic, I’m on my hands and knees going through this box that was just stuff,” said Dan Meader, gallery manager for Amesbury-based John McInnis Auctioneers. “I can see this bubble wrap in this box that’s falling apart. ... I flipped it over and I see the inscription on the back and I started shaking.”
Meader had been hired to auction off the belongings of Harriett Gould, who passed away last year. In the attic, Meader found boxes belonging to Gould’s son, Jon, who was partners with Warhol in the 1980s. Jon Gould died in 1986 at the age of 33, and his mother kept his belongings since then.
“They were such personal things that had never been seen before, and in that were things that reflect the relationship,” Meader said. “From what we understand of Warhol’s work, this is totally atypical.”
One piece that will be up for auction is an intentionally broken canvas, painted with red, grey and yellow, that Warhol gave to Jon Gould. The piece likely represents a relationship that was strained and volatile, Meader said. The work is being valued at between $500,000 and $1 million, though Meader said it could ultimately sell for more or less than that.
Richard Polsky, who authenticates works by Warhol, said previously unknown Warhols do pop up from time to time.
“Something like this is always a lot of fun. Everyone loves a treasure hunt,” Polsky said. “It’s always the unexpected that makes everyone’s heart race in the art world.”
Polsky said Jon Gould is a well-known name among those who follow Warhol’s life closely, and frequently appears in Warhol’s diaries. Gould, who was an executive at Paramount Pictures, is known to have been showered with gifts by Warhol.
Meader also found a print of Warhol’s iconic Marilyn Monroe paintings, along with pieces by Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose work recently set the record for the most expensive work of art sold at an auction.