Gallerina

Warhol and Shoes of the Past

Whenever I come across one of these Warhol shoe sketches, I can’t help but think of Nikkie. Nikkie was in her seventies when I met her—a tall, slender woman with sparkling eyes and fine lines adorning her beautiful face. She lived in Brooklyn, in the same house she had shared with her late husband since the early 1980s. Ed had left her suddenly one night in his sleep. Sudden death, they said, as if it isn’t always sudden for those left behind.