When Warhol moved to New York City at the end of the 1940s, New York was overflowing with musicians, dancers, and avant-garde performers. Warhol took inspiration from everything. For decades, he was a devoted attendee at theatre performances, concerts, and counterculture events. Works spanning the 1950s to the 1980s reflect this immersion in arts and music: when Warhol was not attending events with Martha Graham or working with Merce Cunningham on the set for his next performance, he was integrating what he’d learned from these dancers into his art. 

Touted as both the “Grandmother” and the “Picasso” of Modern Dance, Martha Graham and Andy Warhol were long-time friends. He often attended her dance shows and fundraisers; the pair was often seen in a group with Liza Minnelli and fashion designer Halston.

In addition to pencil drawings of Martha Graham, Warhol created the Martha Graham Suite in 1986 – both to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Martha Graham Dance Company and to contribute to her planned school of dance in Florence. The Suite was comprised of three images (Lamentation, The Kick, and Satyric Festival Song). Each image was based on a photograph taken between 1935 and 1942 by Barbara Morgan of the legendary Martha Graham in motion.

According to Graham, “When I first met Andy, he confided to me that he was born in Pittsburgh as I was, and that when he first saw me dance ‘Appalachian Spring’ it touched him deeply… He touched me deeply as well. He was a gifted, strange maverick who crossed my life with great generosity. His last act was the gift of three portraits he donated to my company to help my company meet its financial needs.”