In the world of Pop Art, 1964 is widely regarded as the year in which the movement achieved international recognition. Robert Rauschenberg winning the Grand Prize for Painting at that year’s Venice Biennale contributed to the transition from the gestural aesthetics of Abstract Expressionism (which had dominated the 1950s) to the figurative and boldly coloured style commonly associated with Pop.

Reactions were mixed. Enthusiasts celebrated the way Pop had reconnected with the everyday through its appropriation of existing images and references to consumer culture. By contrast, detractors were shocked, deeming advertisements, film stars and packaged foods unsuitable subjects for art. Whether in favour or against, however, no one could escape this momentous shift and, within a short time, the trends inspired by Pop moved from the localized field of art into the broader cultural arena.