In 1963, New York-based photographer William John Kennedy (1930–2021), a seasoned editorial contributor to LIFE magazine, was introduced to a young artist rising in eminence, Andy Warhol, through their mutual friend, the artist Robert Indiana, at MoMA’s 1963 exhibition 'Americans'. What followed was a year of intimate, singular access to Warhol at his legendary studio, the Silver Factory on East 47th Street; encounters that Kennedy photographed for his own private practice.

This portrait by William John Kennedy was captured in early 1964 during his inaugural photographic session with Andy Warhol at the Factory. It was Kennedy himself who conceived this image: posing Warhol behind the large, clear acetate of Marilyn Monroe that would generate some of the artist’s most celebrated silkscreen paintings, collapsing artist and subject into a single, brilliant frame.

The photographer recollects, “I was seeking the most suitable location to photograph Andy and came upon the natural light streaming through the open fire exit door. Among the detritus was a large roll of plastic sheets leaning nearby. I inquired about them.” Warhol responded, “These are the acetates used in my silkscreens.” Kennedy continues, “Andy positioned himself in the doorway of the fire escape as he removed the first sheet from the roll and held it before him, with the light illuminating the image—of Marilyn Monroe. As Andy peered through, I immediately captured the moment.” As Kennedy and Warhol discussed the late actress, Kennedy came to perceive that Marilyn epitomised Warhol’s view of the duality of celebrity, embodying both glamour and tragedy.

Patrick Moore, former Director of The Andy Warhol Museum, has observed of this photograph that “We see Warhol in a fresh light — young, victorious, on the verge of dominating the art world… We see Warhol through his art.”

This photograph presents an aesthetically compelling and intricate composition, in which Kennedy deftly interweaves the artist with his masterpiece. It also serves as a provocative and revealing portrait of Warhol’s conflicted and luminous personality—one he tended to shield from the public during his lifetime by cultivating a deliberately detached, aloof persona.

Warhol, acutely aware of his own insecurities, held a deep admiration for Hollywood’s glamour. Following Monroe’s tragic death in 1962, he produced portraits of the actress that have since become some of his most renowned works. Throughout the subsequent decades, Warhol revisited portraits of Marilyn Monroe in various series of screenprints and paintings. The acetate featured in this image originates from his 1964 series of large square canvases, each commanding a formidable forty inches. Among these, the five paintings stand out as arguably Warhol’s most extraordinarily exquisite creations.

One of the most remarkable qualities of this particular photograph is that almost no one has seen Warhol’s work in progress—before his silkscreen paintings of Marilyn Monroe were finished. Here, Kennedy captured Warhol, and in the moment, his most renowned and enduring paintings were being born.