Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Cheddar Cheese 63 by Andy Warhol is one of ten screenprints from the Campbell’s Soup Cans II Complete Portfolio. The print depicts a can of Campbell’s condensed cheddar cheese soup. Like other prints from this series, it has the familiar red-and-white label with black lettering, framed by Warhol’s clean, graphic lines. A bright golden banner cuts across the center of the can, declaring, “Great as a sauce, too!” This playful detail emphasizes Warhol’s fascination with advertising slogans and their ability to shape consumer perception. The print mirrors the exact look of a supermarket product while elevating it into the realm of fine art. Its crisp silkscreen technique and uniform style reflect Warhol’s desire to merge mass production with high culture.
From Commercial Artist to Pop Art Pioneer
From the very beginning of his career, Warhol was no stranger to commercial art. Even the name of his famed studio, The Factory, was reminiscent of production. After coming to New York City in the 1950’s, he became an award-winning fashion illustrator. It was during this time that he began fine-tuning his printmaking process. In his shoe compositions, Warhol used blotted line ink drawings to easily repeat the shape while altering the design. (He returned to the shoe concept in 1980, creating a lovable series of prints that harken back to his roots.) He would later utilize the concept of mass production in Cheddar Cheese 63 and his other Campbell’s Soup II screen prints, such as Tomato-Beef Noodle O’s.
“I don’t think art should be only for the select few,” Warhol declared. “I think it should be for the mass of the American people.” Many artists considered pop culture a source of low art. They also frowned upon ideas like capitalism and consumption in the art world. Warhol’s work was a direct assault against that line of thinking. He saw the beauty in modern, everyday life and wanted to replicate it. As a result, the ordinary world became his playground. It made perfect sense for him to focus on a household staple like a can of soup.
Inspiration Strikes: The Campbell’s Soup Idea
Warhol was first inspired to use the soup can when his friend Muriel Latow, a New York art dealer, suggested it to him in passing. At the time Warhol’s lack of advancement disappointed him. Artists like Claes Oldenburg and Roy Lichenstein were already gaining recognition in art circles for papier-mâché products and comic book paintings. Warhol believed in the power of Pop Art and refused to be on the sidelines when it broke. He wanted to do something that would grab the world’s attention.
At one of Warhol’s dinner parties, Muriel reportedly told him, “You’ve got to find something that’s recognizable to almost everybody. Something you see every day that everybody would recognize. Something like a can of Campbell’s Soup.” Warhol stopped at the grocery store and bought every can he could. He hand-painted the first batch using photos shot by Ed Wallowitch, an ex-lover of Andy’s. In the years to come, he would proceed with his silkscreen process. The commercial technique would become a signature of Warhol’s style.
Cheddar Cheese 63 and the Campbell’s Soup II Portfolio
Although Warhol’s soup cans initially puzzled critics, they quickly became a cultural phenomenon. By the late 1960s, the imagery appeared on fashion items like the famous “Souper” dress. At the same time, Campbell’s Soup Cans II deepened Warhol’s influence on Pop Art, showing that repetition and consumer culture could be both provocative and beautiful.
Importantly, this portfolio differed from Campbell’s Soup Cans I. Instead of the familiar classics, Warhol featured less conventional flavors such as Scotch Broth, Oyster Stew, and Hot Dog Bean. He also introduced new graphic elements, including slogans and banners, which gave the prints a fresh advertising twist.
Warhol was not only fascinated by the design of commercial products—he also enjoyed them personally. He admitted that soup was a daily part of his diet for decades. This personal connection strengthened the authenticity of his work, even as it played with irony and critique.
As Warhol himself noted, “You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.” Cheddar Cheese 63 captures that idea perfectly. What was once a simple pantry item became, through Warhol’s lens, an enduring symbol of modern art.
Photo Credits:
- Andy Warhol tracing Campbell’s Soup silkscreen, The Factory, New York City, circa 1965 © Estate of Nat Finkelstein © 2021 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by DACS, London
- Andy Warhol and Gerard Malanga make a painting, 1964
Vintage gelatin silver print, 10¼ × 14¾ inches; 26 × 38 cm. Photo by Matthew Marks. - Andy Warhol, 1964. Vintage gelatin silver print, 10¼ × 14¾ inches; 26 × 38 cm. Photo by Matthew Marks.
