NEW YORK, NY.- Rago Wright will present Pop Insider: The Collection of the Artist Idelle Weber, celebrating a pioneering artist whose contributions to Pop Art were overshadowed by sexism and whose imagery inspired one of television’s most recognizable opening sequences.

Long before the silhouetted businessmen of Mad Men became an iconic image of American popular culture, artist Idelle Weber (1932–2020) was capturing the anonymous figures and corporate environments of midcentury Manhattan. A pioneering figure in Pop Art, Weber developed a distinctive visual language of faceless businessmen and office interiors that would later inform the opening credits of the acclaimed television series—yet she has never been credited. As writer and curator Sid Sachs noted, “The importance of Weber’s innovative use of the silhouette in a Pop context cannot be overstated.”

The visual parallels are striking, raising intriguing questions about artistic influence and the contributions of women to the imagery that defines American popular culture. While no direct connection between Weber's work and the creation of the Mad Men sequence has been established, the resemblance offers a compelling opportunity to reconsider her place in the history of Pop Art." Indeed, the Museum of Modern Art has recognized Weber's artworks as the basis for Mad Men's credit sequence, noting that "Nearly four decades later, [Weber's] trenchant vision became the basis for the opening credits of the TV series Mad Men."

Despite her innovations and close friendships with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Tom Wesselmann, Weber faced considerable gender discrimination. The influential Stable Gallery reportedly refused to represent her because it did not exhibit women, while Robert Motherwell denied her request to audit his class, assuming motherhood would end her artistic ambitions. As art historian Avis Berman observed, “Had Weber been a male artist, her career would have taken flight.”

Now, Pop Insider: The Collection of the Artist Idelle Weber offers an opportunity to reconsider Weber’s remarkable legacy. Taking place November 11, the auction features works by Weber’s contemporaries, including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann, Jasper Johns, Yayoi Kusama, Claes Oldenburg, and Keith Haring, among others.”

A selection of highlights from Pop Insider: The Collection of the Artist Idelle Weber will be exhibited from October 29 to November 11, Monday through Friday from 11 am to 5 pm, at 529 West 20th Street, New York. Pop Insider: The Collection of the Artist Idelle Weber is a live auction in Lambertville, New Jersey, beginning at 1 pm eastern on November 11.