Europe in Pop Fever

Long regarded as an American movement, Pop Art also flourished across Europe, where painters and sculptors embraced the imagery of mass media, consumer culture, and popular entertainment while reshaping it to reflect their own social, political, and cultural realities. Europe in Pop Fever brings together more than 70 paintings and sculptures by more than 20 artists, pairing numerous works by groundbreaking European figures—from Erró to Sigmar Polke—with carefully selected examples of influential American contemporaries such as Andy Warhol, Alex Katz, John Chamberlain, and William Copley. Along the way, readers encounter striking interpretations of advertising, fashion, celebrity, politics, and changing ideals of femininity in works by Gerhard Richter, Niki de Saint-Phalle, Kiki Kogelnik, Gérard Fromanger, César, Bernard Rancillac, and many others. Viewed together, these works demonstrate that European Pop was never merely an extension of its American counterpart, but a radical reinvention that broadened the scope and ambition of one of the twentieth century’s defining artistic developments. Three insightful essays examine the artistic and political ramifications of European Pop Art, while around 150 expansive and exquisite reproductions invite readers to appreciate every saturated color, graphic composition, and provocative detail. Both an engaging introduction and a rewarding resource for longtime enthusiasts, this volume presents the story of European Pop as one of innovation, influence, and radical reinvention.