“With an alert, passionate, fascinating pen, the biographer thwarts the traps of a legend and a complex personality and offers us a portrait of the artist drawn as close as possible to his reality, to his psyche. An edifying job. Highly recommended reading. ” — Apolline Elter, Le pavillon de la littérature

“In this biography retracing the ‘making’ of what the author calls ‘a self-made myth in perpetual reinvention’ each chapter is romanesque. ” — Florence Noiville, Le Monde des Livres

“A new, very complete and balanced biography of a 20th century ‘sacred monster’. ” — La Libre Belgique

“After thirty years of study, Jean-Noël Liaut delivers his version: whimsical, ‘illimythé’, sometimes excruciating in the fumes of drugs … but also fabulous in his creations without chance. ” — Bernard Meeus, Soir Mag

“We assure you: not to read Jean-Noël Liaut would be an insult to the romanesque creation and to the talent. ” — Claude Delay, Service Littéraire

“Impeccable result for a book that devours itself like a thriller about one of the major figures of the 20th century. ” — Renaud Monfourny, Les Inrocks

“Without bias, without falling into the sensational, he tells about this unusual destiny, this key artist of the 20th century, this individual in his everyday life. Probably the most sincere book on Andy Warhol. ” — Bookstore La Demeure du livre

Chock-full of previously unpublished reminiscences, a subtle portrait that reveals the man behind the myth.

How did the son of Slovakian immigrants raised in a working-class Catholic neighborhood in Pittsburgh manage to radically transform art in the latter half of the 20th century? How did an anxiety-ridden man in poor health manage to turn himself into the “white fox”? That was the nickname coined by the actress Paulette Goddard, because he was sly and prying, had incredible intuition, and was always one step ahead of everyone else in knowing what the world was ready for.

Jean-Noël Liaut has been investigating the mystery of Andy Warhol for over 30 years. He has coaxed previously unpublished anecdotes from many people who were close to the artist – including art critics, like John Richardson and Stuart Preston, and such well-known figures as Pierre Bergé, Lee Radziwill and the Warhol superstar Ultra Violet. It adds up to a subtle portrait, light years away from the usual one-sided visions presenting the Pope of Pop as either a pure genius or an imposter.

By deconstructing the Warhol myth, and recognizing both his talent and prophetic visions and his knack for marketing, this intimate and thrilling biography reveals an unexpected and little-known Warhol, someone who was both endearing and annoying, brilliant and opportunistic, charismatic and profoundly alone.