Warhol story drawing set for sale

Warhol's simple artwork illustrates a cautionary tale about laziness

A children's book illustration from the early part of Andy Warhol's career is to go on sale in New York next month.

The delicate drawings of four story book animals are expected to fetch $600 (£355) at auction on 9 December.

The US artist, who became famous for his pop art creations including silk screen prints of Marilyn Monroe, was a book illustrator from 1957-61.

At a recent sale of contemporary art, a Warhol print of a series of one dollar bills was sold for $43.8m (£26m).

It was the second highest auction price on record for the work of the artist, who died in 1987.

Hard work fable

The story illustrations due to go under the hammer come from the Best In Children's Books series published in the 1950s.

The Little Red Hen, which extols the virtues of hard work, shows the hen toiling in a field while a lazy cat, dog and mouse look on.

Warhol is more associated with his later pop art creations

Auction house Bloomsbury said the volumes up for sale had "lightly worn dust jackets with some minor chips".

Warhol studied commercial art in Pittsburgh before becoming a successful magazine illustrator.

He illustrated shoe advertisements and was later hired by record label RCA to design sleeves and other promotional materials.

His artistic career burgeoned in the 1960s and 70s, with his multi-coloured screen prints of well-known people gaining their own notoriety.

Warhol is also remembered for coining the phrase "famous for 15 minutes".