Andy Warhol (1928–1987) was an American artist, filmmaker, and cultural icon, widely regarded as the most important artist of the second half of the 20th century. Rising from commercial illustration to global fame in the 1960s, he blended mass‑media aesthetics, celebrity culture, and experimental film into a pop‑art style that elevated mass‑produced imagery into fine art. His studio, The Factory, became a creative hub where many artists, musicians, and cultural figures collaborated. His legacy endures in how visibility, branding, and self‑presentation have become central to the way art is created, consumed, and remembered in the modern world.