Julia Warhola ( rue, Юлія Вархола; born Júlia Justína Zavacká ( rue, Юлія Юстінія Завацка); November 20, 1891 – November 22, 1972) was the mother of the American artist

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...

Life

Warhola was born Júlia Justína Zavacká to a peasant family in the Rusyn village of Mikó,

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

(now Miková in northeast Slovakia) and married Andrij Varkhola (Americanized as Andrew Warhola) there in 1909. He emigrated to the United States soon after, and in 1921 she followed him to

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The couple had three children: Paul (1922–2014),

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

(1925–2010), and

Andy Andy may refer to: People * Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds * Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...

(1928–1987) . The family lived at several Pittsburgh addresses, but beginning in 1932 at 3252 Dawson Street in the Oakland neighborhood of the city. The family was

Byzantine Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

and attended

St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church St. John Chrysostom Byzantine Catholic Church is a historic Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in the neighborhood of Four Mile Run (Pittsburgh), F ...

. Her husband who was born in 1889, died in 1942. Julia enjoyed singing traditional Rusyn folk songs and was artistic. She loved to draw. Her favorite subjects were angels and cats. She also did embroidery and other crafts, such as bouquets of hand-made flowers made from tin cans and crepe paper. During the Easter season she decorated eggs in the

Pysanka The tradition of egg decoration in Slavic cultures originated in pagan times,Kazimierz Moszyński – Kultura ludowa Słowian, Kraków 1929Anna Zadrożyńska – Powtarzać czas początku, Warsaw 1985, and was transformed by the process of ...

tradition. As a widow, she moved to New York City in 1951 to take care of Andy. He often used her decorative handwriting to accompany his illustrations. She won awards for her lettering, including one from the

American Institute of Graphic Arts The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity ...

for an album cover for ''The Story of

Moondog Louis Thomas Hardin (May 26, 1916 – September 8, 1999), known professionally as Moondog, was an American composer, musician, performer, music theoretician, poet and inventor of musical instruments. Largely self-taught as a composer, his ...

'', featuring the musician Louis Thomas Hardin in 1958. In 1957 she illustrated a small book called ''Holy Cats'' and she also worked on ''

25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy ''25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy'' is a privately printed, limited edition artist's book by the American artist Andy Warhol in 1954. It consists of 19 lithographs that were hand-colored with watercolor by the artist and his friends. His moth ...

''. In 1966, Andy made a movie called ''Mrs. Warhol'' (color, 66 minutes). It features Julia in her

basement apartment A basement apartment is an apartment located below street level, underneath another structure—usually an apartment building, but possibly a house or a business. Cities in North America are beginning to recognize these units as a vital source ...

in Andy's house playing "an aging peroxide movie star with a lot of husbands," including the most current spouse, played by Richard Rheem. Andy follows her about with his camera as she goes about her daily domestic routines. In 1971, she returned to Pittsburgh and died a year later. She is buried, alongside her husband and near her son Andy, in St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Cemetery in

Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Bethel Park, officially the Municipality of Bethel Park, is a borough with home rule status in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area, located approximately southwest of Pittsburgh. The pop ...

, a south suburb of Pittsburgh.

References

External links

The Warhola Family website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Warhola, Julia 1890s births 1972 deaths People from Stropkov District American Eastern Catholics American people of Lemko descent American people of Slovak descent Artists from Pittsburgh Austro-Hungarian emigrants to the United States Place of death missing Ruthenian Greek Catholics Warhola family