Birth of Pop is Saul’s singular tribute to another Pop master, Andy Warhol. Merging art historical tradition with his signature irreverence, kitsch and satire, Saul playfully distorts Warhol’s iconic imagery and vibrant palettes, absorbing them into his own unruly aesthetic. At its center, a grotesquely distorted figure emerges, crowned with three identical Warhol heads—both a nod to and a parody.

Venus, a timeless symbol of beauty and artistic idealism, is reimagined as a warped embodiment of the contemporary art world, where mass reproduction and celebrity take precedence over classical refinement. By fusing past and present with his unmistakable brand of exaggeration, Saul transforms the birth of Venus into the birth of Pop itself—chaotic, absurd, and undeniably electric.

“This picture was inspired by the academic 19th-century French artist Cabanel. His 1852 version of Birth of Venus was one of my favorite pictures when I visited Paris. In my version, I wanted to modernize the subject, bring it up to date. The intention was to use my imagination, not to insult Cabanel, Warhol, or Venus.” — Peter Saul