Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew 60 by Andy Warhol presents a single, upright soup can centered against a white field. The familiar red-and-white Campbell’s label dominates the composition, while a bright yellow banner wraps across the center seal reading “Important! Add whole milk.” Below, bold red lettering spells “Oyster Stew,” followed by smaller black text noting “WITH GRADE AA BUTTER.” The image feels crisp and graphic, with flat color, clean edges, and precise typography that mirrors commercial packaging while subtly exaggerating its visual authority.
Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew 60 and the Second Soup Portfolio
Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew 60 is one of ten prints from Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans II Complete Portfolio, published in 1969. The series continues Campbell’s Soup Cans I from 1968, which itself followed the original 1962 32 Campbell’s Soup Cans paintings. However, rather than repeating identical labels, this second portfolio focuses on less common flavors, each paired with its own customized graphic intervention.
Moreover, the portfolio appeared seven years after Warhol’s first soup paintings shocked critics and audiences alike. Initially dismissed by some as blatant appropriation, the works nevertheless gained traction through controversy. As a result, the soup cans became some of the most influential images in modern art history.
Advertising Language and Graphic Intervention
To create his own visual language, Warhol appropriated familiar consumer imagery and reframed it as fine art. He enlarged the simple can design to a monumental 35 x 32 inches, flattening perspective and emphasizing typography, color, and symmetry. Consequently, the image encourages viewers to reconsider everyday packaging as a powerful visual system rather than a neutral object.
In Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew 60, Warhol departs from the traditional Campbell’s seal by inserting a bold yellow banner across the center. The phrases “Important! Add whole milk” and “WITH GRADE AA BUTTER” mimic advertising imperatives, heightening the sense of persuasion. Meanwhile, the rest of the label remains precise and restrained, preserving the can’s iconic structure.
Repetition, Consumerism, and Cultural Impact
Warhol’s repeated soup images echo the visual rhythm of billboards and supermarket shelves. Similarly, his use of repetition aligns these prints with other consumer works such as Coca-Cola and Brillo Boxes. However, the Soup II series introduces variation within sameness, allowing subtle differences to carry meaning.
Other prints from the portfolio include New England Clam Chowder 57, Tomato-Beef Noodle O’s 61, Cheddar Cheese 63, and Vegetarian Vegetable 56. Notably, each flavor depicted in the series reflects an actual Campbell’s product.
Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew 60 in Warhol’s Larger Body of Work
Warhol often spoke about his personal connection to Campbell’s Soup, once noting that he ate it daily for years. Still, the work extends beyond autobiography. Instead, it stages a broader reflection on mass production, repetition, and value. Even decades after their debut, the soup cans continue to provoke debate about originality and meaning in art.
Campbell’s Soup Cans II: Oyster Stew 60 exemplifies Warhol’s ability to transform ordinary packaging into a lasting cultural icon. By balancing strict repetition with subtle variation, the print secures its place as both a defining image of Pop Art and a cornerstone of Warhol’s enduring legacy.
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.
