Luigi Accame
Dr. Luigi Accame is a painting by American artist Andy Warhol. Warhol portrayed an Italian businessman from Genoa, who from 1958 to 1963 served as a president of the Genoa Chamber of Commerce. In 1974 Warhol made several polaroids and painted an original painting entitled "The Portrait of Dr. Luigi Accame". The painting was part of the series of portraits Warhol did of new, rich, patrons, including Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, his wife Empress Farah Pahlavi, his sister Princess Ashraf Pahlavi, Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, John Lennon, Diana Ross, and Brigitte Bardot. According to Bob Colacello, Warhol devoted much of his time in the 1970s to rounding up patrons for the portraits. He commented it: "Making money is art, and working is art and good business is the best art." Contrary to many other portraits, which Warhol reproduced as multiple prints, including those of Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Kennedy, or Mao Zedong, "The portrait of Dr. Luigi Accame" is truly unique and Warhol made no similar work. In 1960s Accame published a book on doing business in Genoa and contributed chapters to other books, but he is famous primarily for being portrayed by Warhol.
Further reading
N. Printz and S. King-Nero, eds., The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné of Paintings and Sculptures 1970-1974, vol. 3, New York and London, 2010, p. 497, no. 2783 (illustrated).