Warhol Prints 2nd page
Warhol’s Cats: 25 Cats Name(d) Sam and One Blue Pussy (c. 1954)
Andy Warhol’s best-known cat project is the privately published artist’s book 25 Cats Name(d) Sam and One Blue Pussy (c. 1954, sometimes dated 1957). Created while Warhol worked as a successful commercial illustrator in New York, the book reflects his personal life: he and his mother, Julia Warhola, shared an apartment filled with cats, most named Sam (with one exception, the titular Blue Pussy).
The book contains 18 offset lithographs (including cover and justification), printed in black ink on laid paper. Many feature selective hand-coloring in watercolor, applied by Warhol or assistants. The drawings employ his signature blotted-line technique — a delicate, fluid method in which inked drawings are pressed onto another sheet while wet, producing soft, slightly blurred lines with a whimsical, almost printed quality. The playful, intentionally misspelled text (“25 Cats Name Sam”) was hand-lettered by his mother Julia, whose distinctive calligraphy adds charm and imperfection that Warhol deliberately preserved.
Only about 190 numbered copies were produced. Most were given as gifts to friends, clients, and artists such as Leonor Fini rather than sold commercially. The images depict stylized cats in various poses—sleeping, stretching, playing—rendered with economy and graphic simplicity influenced by advertising art.
Technically, this early work differs sharply from the later post-1977 screenprint portfolios. It is small-scale and intimate (approximately 9¼ x 6⅛ in. when bound), relies on hand-coloring rather than mechanical trial proofs, and predates Warhol’s collaboration with master printer Rupert Jasen Smith (which began in 1977). No formal trial proof sets exist here; variations arise from manual watercolor application.
The project reveals a tender, playful side of Warhol, treating personal subjects with the same serial repetition and stylization he would later apply to celebrities and consumer goods. It belongs to a group of self-published 1950s books that bridge his commercial illustration roots and emerging Pop sensibility.
Auction market: Complete or near-complete copies with fresh hand-coloring and strong provenance appear infrequently and perform well. A dedicated copy (No. 69/190, gifted to Leonor Fini) realized $118,750 at Christie’s (2019, est. $60,000–80,000). Individual plates or partial sets have sold in the low to mid five figures (e.g., four plates at $32,760 at Phillips). High-quality colored examples command premiums due to rarity and biographical appeal, though values remain far below the large-scale 1980s thematic portfolios.
Concise Summary: Warhol’s Prints Before the Marilyn Breakthrough (Pre-1962)
Before achieving fame with Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) and the Marilyn paintings and prints (1962 onward), Warhol produced delicate, hand-crafted works rooted in commercial illustration rather than bold Pop repetition or screenprinting.In the early 1950s, after moving to New York in 1949, he created numerous self-published artist’s books and portfolios using offset lithography, blotted-line drawing, and selective hand-coloring.
Key examples include:
Market note: These pre-Pop books and individual plates trade in a distinct segment, appealing to collectors of Warhol’s biography and early technique. Complete books or strong provenanced copies can reach five to six figures when fresh and complete, but they remain far more accessible than his iconic 1960s–1980s screenprints.
Andy Warhol’s best-known cat project is the privately published artist’s book 25 Cats Name(d) Sam and One Blue Pussy (c. 1954, sometimes dated 1957). Created while Warhol worked as a successful commercial illustrator in New York, the book reflects his personal life: he and his mother, Julia Warhola, shared an apartment filled with cats, most named Sam (with one exception, the titular Blue Pussy).
The book contains 18 offset lithographs (including cover and justification), printed in black ink on laid paper. Many feature selective hand-coloring in watercolor, applied by Warhol or assistants. The drawings employ his signature blotted-line technique — a delicate, fluid method in which inked drawings are pressed onto another sheet while wet, producing soft, slightly blurred lines with a whimsical, almost printed quality. The playful, intentionally misspelled text (“25 Cats Name Sam”) was hand-lettered by his mother Julia, whose distinctive calligraphy adds charm and imperfection that Warhol deliberately preserved.
Only about 190 numbered copies were produced. Most were given as gifts to friends, clients, and artists such as Leonor Fini rather than sold commercially. The images depict stylized cats in various poses—sleeping, stretching, playing—rendered with economy and graphic simplicity influenced by advertising art.
Technically, this early work differs sharply from the later post-1977 screenprint portfolios. It is small-scale and intimate (approximately 9¼ x 6⅛ in. when bound), relies on hand-coloring rather than mechanical trial proofs, and predates Warhol’s collaboration with master printer Rupert Jasen Smith (which began in 1977). No formal trial proof sets exist here; variations arise from manual watercolor application.
The project reveals a tender, playful side of Warhol, treating personal subjects with the same serial repetition and stylization he would later apply to celebrities and consumer goods. It belongs to a group of self-published 1950s books that bridge his commercial illustration roots and emerging Pop sensibility.
Auction market: Complete or near-complete copies with fresh hand-coloring and strong provenance appear infrequently and perform well. A dedicated copy (No. 69/190, gifted to Leonor Fini) realized $118,750 at Christie’s (2019, est. $60,000–80,000). Individual plates or partial sets have sold in the low to mid five figures (e.g., four plates at $32,760 at Phillips). High-quality colored examples command premiums due to rarity and biographical appeal, though values remain far below the large-scale 1980s thematic portfolios.
Concise Summary: Warhol’s Prints Before the Marilyn Breakthrough (Pre-1962)
Before achieving fame with Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) and the Marilyn paintings and prints (1962 onward), Warhol produced delicate, hand-crafted works rooted in commercial illustration rather than bold Pop repetition or screenprinting.In the early 1950s, after moving to New York in 1949, he created numerous self-published artist’s books and portfolios using offset lithography, blotted-line drawing, and selective hand-coloring.
Key examples include:
- 25 Cats Name(d) Sam and One Blue Pussy (c. 1954) — his most famous early book.
- A is an Alphabet (1953).
- À la Recherche du Shoe Perdu (1955) — a whimsical shoe-themed portfolio.
- In the Bottom of My Garden (c. 1956) — featuring fairies, cherubs, and playful figures.
- A Gold Book (1957) — gilded illustrations showcasing decorative, elegant line work.
- Wild Raspberries (1959) — a cookbook parody with recipes and illustrations.
Market note: These pre-Pop books and individual plates trade in a distinct segment, appealing to collectors of Warhol’s biography and early technique. Complete books or strong provenanced copies can reach five to six figures when fresh and complete, but they remain far more accessible than his iconic 1960s–1980s screenprints.
1967 Marilyn
See dedicated page :
Special Report
Campbell's Soup
The success of the Marilyn portfolio is encouraging. Warhol retrieves his masterpiece of minimalist figurative art from 1962 : Campbell's Soup images differing only by the label indicating the nature of the condensed. The original series included 32 paintings on canvas. Warhol selects ten of them in his 1968 Soups, printed on 89 x 59 cm sheets with the same production quantity as the Marilyn, 250 copies plus 26 artist's proofs numbered A to Z.
Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup I (1968) is a portfolio of ten screenprints on paper, each measuring about 35 x 23 inches (88.9 x 58.4 cm).
It followed his groundbreaking 1962 Campbell's Soup Cans series of 32 hand-painted canvases (each 20 x 16 inches) and preceded Campbell's Soup II (1969). Published by Factory Additions, the edition size was 250 signed (ball-point pen) and numbered (rubber stamp on verso) sets, plus 26 artist's proofs (A-Z).
Key Features of Campbell's Soup I
Warhol's Marilyn Monroe complete portfolio (also by Factory Additions) consists of ten screenprints on paper, each 36 x 36 inches, edition of 250 (+ 26 APs). It appeared one year before Soup I and shares core techniques but differs in subject, mood, and impact.
Similarities
The complete artist's proof G accompanied by the original cardboard portfolio box was sold for $ 1.8M by Sotheby's on March 9, 2023, lot 233. It had only one owner after the Andy Warhol Estate.
The complete set 192/250 with its original stamp numbered box was sold for $ 1M by Christie's on May 13, 2025, lot 548.
The complete set 129/250 with its original cardboard box and inset dividers was sold for £ 1.03M by Phillips on June 14, 2021, lot 120. The complete set 48/250 was sold for $ 1.26M by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 10.
A composite set was sold for £ 860K by Sotheby's on June 29, 2021, lot 152. The stamp mark on the reverse is 130/250 for nine prints and 128/250 for the Onion Soup.
Warhol still has much reserve ! A new edition made in the following year offers ten other soups, this time with a few fancy graphics. The labelling is new but this Campbell's Soup II is otherwise strictly identical to the previous edition.
Andy Warhol's Campbell's Soup I (1968) is a portfolio of ten screenprints on paper, each measuring about 35 x 23 inches (88.9 x 58.4 cm).
It followed his groundbreaking 1962 Campbell's Soup Cans series of 32 hand-painted canvases (each 20 x 16 inches) and preceded Campbell's Soup II (1969). Published by Factory Additions, the edition size was 250 signed (ball-point pen) and numbered (rubber stamp on verso) sets, plus 26 artist's proofs (A-Z).
Key Features of Campbell's Soup I
- Subject and Composition: Ten specific flavors selected from the original 32, including Black Bean, Chicken Noodle, Tomato, Cream of Mushroom, Consommé (Beef), Bean with Bacon, Green Pea, Pepper Pot, Onion, and Beef. Each print shows a single, centered Campbell's soup can with the classic red-and-white label, "CONDENSED" text, gold medallion, and fleur-de-lys border detail. The cans appear larger-than-life and isolated against a plain background, mimicking commercial packaging.
- Technique: Screenprints (silkscreen) on paper. Warhol used mechanical reproduction but introduced subtle variations through pressure, ink clogging, and texture, so no two prints are identical. This built on his shift from hand-painting (with projection/tracing for outlines and hand-stamping for details in the 1962 originals) to more industrialized processes.
- Style and Themes: Flat colors, bold outlines, and commercial precision celebrate (and critique) mass production, consumerism, and the banality of everyday American life. Warhol famously ate Campbell's soup daily for years, turning the mundane into iconography. The prints feel like enlarged advertisements, blurring art and commodity.
- Edition and Collectibility: Highly recognizable Pop Art icons; complete sets are rare and valuable.
Warhol's Marilyn Monroe complete portfolio (also by Factory Additions) consists of ten screenprints on paper, each 36 x 36 inches, edition of 250 (+ 26 APs). It appeared one year before Soup I and shares core techniques but differs in subject, mood, and impact.
Similarities
- Both are screenprint portfolios of 10 works from the same period (mid-to-late 1960s), produced via Factory Additions using silkscreen for mechanical repetition with intentional variations (e.g., color shifts, registration).
- They exemplify Pop Art: elevating everyday/commercial imagery (product labels vs. celebrity photos) to fine art, exploring commodification, repetition, and mass media.
- Serial format and vibrant/flat colors comment on consumer culture—soup as staple product, Marilyn as packaged celebrity.
- Subject: Soup I depicts identical everyday objects (varied only by flavor label) in a repetitive, grid-like consumer aesthetic. Marilyn repeats one publicity still (from the 1953 film Niagara) across all ten prints, varying colors dramatically (e.g., hot pinks, yellows, greens, blacks) to create vibrant, ghostly, or high-contrast effects. Soup is mundane and uniform; Marilyn is glamorous yet tragic.
- Mood and Meaning: Soup cans feel neutral, ironic celebrations of routine and advertising. Marilyn prints (made years after her 1962 death) blend glamour, fame, beauty, and mortality—repetition evokes how media "consumes" celebrities, turning them into products. Colors can feel celebratory or haunting.
- Format and Scale: Soup prints are portrait-oriented and can-focused (taller/narrower); Marilyns are square and face-focused, often shown in grids (e.g., the 1962 Marilyn Diptych).
- Cultural Role: Soup launched Warhol's fame with controversy over "low" subject matter. Marilyn cemented his celebrity portraiture and became one of his most iconic (and valuable) series.
The complete artist's proof G accompanied by the original cardboard portfolio box was sold for $ 1.8M by Sotheby's on March 9, 2023, lot 233. It had only one owner after the Andy Warhol Estate.
The complete set 192/250 with its original stamp numbered box was sold for $ 1M by Christie's on May 13, 2025, lot 548.
The complete set 129/250 with its original cardboard box and inset dividers was sold for £ 1.03M by Phillips on June 14, 2021, lot 120. The complete set 48/250 was sold for $ 1.26M by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 10.
A composite set was sold for £ 860K by Sotheby's on June 29, 2021, lot 152. The stamp mark on the reverse is 130/250 for nine prints and 128/250 for the Onion Soup.
Warhol still has much reserve ! A new edition made in the following year offers ten other soups, this time with a few fancy graphics. The labelling is new but this Campbell's Soup II is otherwise strictly identical to the previous edition.
1970 Flowers
184/250
2023 SOLD for $ 2.35M by Christie's
The theme of the Flowers was originally conceived by Warhol in 1964 as an offset lithograph of a photo of seven hibiscus blooms cut off from Modern Photography, from a hint by Henry Geldzahler to escape the Death and Disaster.
Limited to four regularly dispositioned flowers looking like a 2 x 2 ghost Marilyn in a single frame, a series of nine paintings in acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas 207 x 207 cm was executed in 1964.
The example with white blooms was sold for $ 16M by Christie's on May 9, 2022, lot 23A. The example enhanced with fluorescent paint displaying three orange and one red blooms was sold for $ 35.5M by Christie's on May 16, 2024, lot 17 B. Behind the flowers, stems and leaves are green.
This four flower image was edited in 1970 in 250 screenprint copies plus 26 artist's proofs 91 x 91 cm. The deliberate absence of definition brings the viewer in a flat weird world of lush colors demonstrating the extent of the artist's modernist creativity..
The complete set 184/250, in very good condition and framed, was sold for $ 2.35M by Christie's on April 18, 2023, lot 43.
Limited to four regularly dispositioned flowers looking like a 2 x 2 ghost Marilyn in a single frame, a series of nine paintings in acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas 207 x 207 cm was executed in 1964.
The example with white blooms was sold for $ 16M by Christie's on May 9, 2022, lot 23A. The example enhanced with fluorescent paint displaying three orange and one red blooms was sold for $ 35.5M by Christie's on May 16, 2024, lot 17 B. Behind the flowers, stems and leaves are green.
This four flower image was edited in 1970 in 250 screenprint copies plus 26 artist's proofs 91 x 91 cm. The deliberate absence of definition brings the viewer in a flat weird world of lush colors demonstrating the extent of the artist's modernist creativity..
The complete set 184/250, in very good condition and framed, was sold for $ 2.35M by Christie's on April 18, 2023, lot 43.
86/250
2024 SOLD for € 1.86M by Ketterer Kunst
The complete set 86/250 of ten prints was sold for € 1.86M against a lower estimate of € 800K by Ketterer Kunst on June 7, 2024, lot 52.
The 145/250 was sold by Christie's on November 13, 2014 for $ 1.15M, lot 384. The 27/250 was sold for $ 1.1M by Sotheby's on October 24, 2019, lot 63. The 111/250 was sold for $ 1.26M by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 26.
A composite set was sold for $ 1.48M by Phillips on April 19, 2022, lot 43.
The 145/250 was sold by Christie's on November 13, 2014 for $ 1.15M, lot 384. The 27/250 was sold for $ 1.1M by Sotheby's on October 24, 2019, lot 63. The 111/250 was sold for $ 1.26M by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 26.
A composite set was sold for $ 1.48M by Phillips on April 19, 2022, lot 43.
1972 Mao
2012 SOLD for £ 1.6M by Sotheby's
In 1972 the US President Nixon makes his historic travel to China to meet the Great Helmsman.
Warhol then appropriates Chairman Mao's portrait from the 1966 cover of the Little Red Book. The most powerful statesman in the world is for Warhol through that image the symbol of the mass consumption.
For the first time, Warhol had edited the prints before preparing a painted version. He never made clear if he had or not some polical intentions in that project which had been reportedly suggested by his dealer Bischofberger.
The Mao portfolio of screenprints is created by Warhol according to the same format as the 1967 Marilyn, 10 color variants from a single image 91 x 91 cm, in an edition of 250 plus 50 artist's proof sets and 4 printer's proof sets for the use of Styria Studio. The publisher was Castelli.
In the past, Chinese censors had long stopped any versions of Warhol's Mao on their land. The story changed when the art market went to a globalization after the 2008-2010 crisis. The complete set number 10 was sold by Christie's in Hong Kong on May 29, 2010 for HK $ 6.6M from a lower estimate of HK $ 3M.
The copy from the Gunter Sachs collection was the artist's proof set 1/50. It was sold for £ 1.6M from a lower estimate of £ 300K by Sotheby's on May 22, 2012, lot 31.
The complete portfolio 211/250 accompanied by its original box was sold by Sotheby's on October 27, 2011 for $ 1.43M, lot 33.
The portfolio 120/250 was sold for $ 1.08M by Christie's on November 13, 2014, lot 385.
The artist's proof set number 12/50, complete in its original box, was sold for £ 825K by Christie's on October 16, 2007, lot 430.
The complete printer's proof number P.P. 1/4 was sold for $ 1.1M by Sotheby's on November 12, 2014, lot 234.
Grok thought :
Quote
Joseph K. Levene Fine Art, Ltd. @JKLFA May 23, 2012
Andy Warhol Mao Set of 10 Screenprints fetches $2.5 million Sotheby's London, a new auction record.
Warhol then appropriates Chairman Mao's portrait from the 1966 cover of the Little Red Book. The most powerful statesman in the world is for Warhol through that image the symbol of the mass consumption.
For the first time, Warhol had edited the prints before preparing a painted version. He never made clear if he had or not some polical intentions in that project which had been reportedly suggested by his dealer Bischofberger.
The Mao portfolio of screenprints is created by Warhol according to the same format as the 1967 Marilyn, 10 color variants from a single image 91 x 91 cm, in an edition of 250 plus 50 artist's proof sets and 4 printer's proof sets for the use of Styria Studio. The publisher was Castelli.
In the past, Chinese censors had long stopped any versions of Warhol's Mao on their land. The story changed when the art market went to a globalization after the 2008-2010 crisis. The complete set number 10 was sold by Christie's in Hong Kong on May 29, 2010 for HK $ 6.6M from a lower estimate of HK $ 3M.
The copy from the Gunter Sachs collection was the artist's proof set 1/50. It was sold for £ 1.6M from a lower estimate of £ 300K by Sotheby's on May 22, 2012, lot 31.
The complete portfolio 211/250 accompanied by its original box was sold by Sotheby's on October 27, 2011 for $ 1.43M, lot 33.
The portfolio 120/250 was sold for $ 1.08M by Christie's on November 13, 2014, lot 385.
The artist's proof set number 12/50, complete in its original box, was sold for £ 825K by Christie's on October 16, 2007, lot 430.
The complete printer's proof number P.P. 1/4 was sold for $ 1.1M by Sotheby's on November 12, 2014, lot 234.
Grok thought :
Quote
Joseph K. Levene Fine Art, Ltd. @JKLFA May 23, 2012
Andy Warhol Mao Set of 10 Screenprints fetches $2.5 million Sotheby's London, a new auction record.
- This 2012 X post by art dealer
@JKLFA
highlights the record $2.5 million sale at Sotheby's London of Andy Warhol's complete 1972 "Mao" portfolio—10 vibrant screenprints satirizing Mao Zedong's image amid U.S.-China diplomatic thaw. - The set, edition 150/250 from collector Gunter Sachs's estate, exceeded its £300,000–500,000 estimate nearly threefold, underscoring Warhol's pop-art fusion of celebrity and politics that boosted his market dominance.
- Subsequent auctions elevated Mao values; a single painting sold for $47.5 million in 2015, per Sotheby's data, showing sustained investor interest in Warhol's culturally provocative series.
1975 Mick Jagger
2022 SOLD for $ 1.93M by Sotheby's
The Mick Jagger set of 10 screen prints in large portrait format 112 x 74 cm was edited by Warhol in 1975 in 250 copies plus 50 artist's proofs. Departing from the Marilyn, Flowers and Mao compositions, that set is made of ten different positions from photos taken by the artist. The colors were applied in flat blocks for an improved sense of movement.
The full set 80/250 was sold for $ 1.93M from a lower estimate of $ 800K by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 17. The prints are signed in felt tip pen by the singer of the Rolling Stones and half of them are also signed by Warhol.
The full set 80/250 was sold for $ 1.93M from a lower estimate of $ 800K by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 17. The prints are signed in felt tip pen by the singer of the Rolling Stones and half of them are also signed by Warhol.
Warhol-Smith Collaboration
Following the Athletes canvases (1977), commissioned by Richard Weisman and featuring ten individual sports stars, Warhol’s printed editions entered a distinct new phase. While earlier portfolios (such as Marilyn, Flowers, or Mao) often repeated a single iconic image across multiple color variations within the same set, the later thematic portfolios typically consist of ten distinct images—each portraying a different subject—unified by a shared theme.
Warhol’s Collaboration with Rupert Jasen Smith: Master Printer and Art Director
A pivotal element in Andy Warhol’s post-1977 print production was his close, decade-long collaboration with Rupert Jasen Smith (1953–1989), who served as his primary silkscreen printer, master printmaker, and art director. Smith, a trained artist and former advertising agency associate (J. Walter Thompson), owned one of New York’s leading printmaking studios and brought exceptional technical precision and creative input to Warhol’s Factory output.
The partnership began informally around 1974 when Smith assisted with hand-coloring elements of the Flowers series. It formalized dramatically in 1977 when Warhol, dissatisfied with his previous printer Alexander Heinrici, gave Smith the opportunity to proof the Hammer and Sickle portfolio. Impressed by the results, Warhol appointed the then-25-year-old Smith as his master printer and art director. From that point until Warhol’s death in 1987, Smith and his team executed nearly all of Warhol’s major screenprint portfolios and many commissioned works.
Warhol allowed Smith’s printer’s stamp to appear alongside his own signature on the finished prints — a rare acknowledgment of collaborative authorship that underscored the trust between them. Smith described his role as controlling “the physical look of the paint and printing,” working closely with a dedicated colorist and assistants to translate Warhol’s vision into finished editions.
Technical and Editorial Contributions
Smith’s expertise elevated the technical sophistication of Warhol’s later prints:
Key Portfolios Executed with Smith
Smith’s printer’s stamp appears on many of Warhol’s most celebrated late works, including:
Artistic and Personal Context
Beyond technical execution, Smith helped sustain the Factory’s high-output rhythm while allowing Warhol to focus on concept and approval. Their working relationship reflected Warhol’s evolving practice in the 1980s: moving from repetitive single-image portfolios toward thematic suites with greater individuality per print. Smith also collaborated with other artists (including Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, and Robert Rauschenberg) and produced his own screenprints, some of which paid homage to Warhol (e.g., the 1989 Homage to Andy Warhol portfolio with diamond dust).
Tragically, Smith died young — on February 15, 1989, at age 37 (or 38 depending on sources), from complications related to AIDS, just two years after Warhol and shortly after attending a Warhol retrospective opening. His early death cut short a promising independent career.
Legacy in the Market and Scholarship
The Warhol–Smith collaboration is widely credited with defining the distinctive look of 1980s Pop prints: bold, polished, and technically ambitious. Trial proofs from this era, bearing evidence of Smith’s studio process, routinely achieve premiums at auction due to their uniqueness and direct link to the creative workflow. Complete sets from series like Myths, Endangered Species, and the Jews portfolio continue to perform strongly, partly because of the reliability and innovation Smith brought to production.
This partnership represents one of the most productive and visually impactful collaborations in Warhol’s career, bridging his Pop roots with the refined, large-scale editions that dominate today’s auction market.
Warhol’s Collaboration with Rupert Jasen Smith: Master Printer and Art Director
A pivotal element in Andy Warhol’s post-1977 print production was his close, decade-long collaboration with Rupert Jasen Smith (1953–1989), who served as his primary silkscreen printer, master printmaker, and art director. Smith, a trained artist and former advertising agency associate (J. Walter Thompson), owned one of New York’s leading printmaking studios and brought exceptional technical precision and creative input to Warhol’s Factory output.
The partnership began informally around 1974 when Smith assisted with hand-coloring elements of the Flowers series. It formalized dramatically in 1977 when Warhol, dissatisfied with his previous printer Alexander Heinrici, gave Smith the opportunity to proof the Hammer and Sickle portfolio. Impressed by the results, Warhol appointed the then-25-year-old Smith as his master printer and art director. From that point until Warhol’s death in 1987, Smith and his team executed nearly all of Warhol’s major screenprint portfolios and many commissioned works.
Warhol allowed Smith’s printer’s stamp to appear alongside his own signature on the finished prints — a rare acknowledgment of collaborative authorship that underscored the trust between them. Smith described his role as controlling “the physical look of the paint and printing,” working closely with a dedicated colorist and assistants to translate Warhol’s vision into finished editions.
Technical and Editorial Contributions
Smith’s expertise elevated the technical sophistication of Warhol’s later prints:
- Large-scale screenprinting on Lenox Museum Board, consistently achieving the commanding 96 x 96 cm (38 x 38 in.) square format that became iconic in the 1980s thematic portfolios.
- Color experimentation and layering: Smith’s studio produced dozens of test prints (trial proofs) for each distinct image, allowing Warhol to select the most impactful palettes. This process was especially crucial in series with ten unique subjects, where each animal, myth, ad, or portrait required individualized treatment.
- Innovative effects: Introduction and refinement of techniques such as diamond dust (ground glass or mica particles mixed into inks or applied as a final layer), which added sparkling texture and luxury to portfolios like Myths (1981) and others. Smith also helped perfect line highlighting and complex multi-screen layering.
- Edition management: Rigorous control over the production of main editions (typically 150–200 impressions), 30 Artist’s Proofs, and the dedicated sets of unique trial proofs (usually 30 sets, or 25 in the case of Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century). These trial proofs — each one-of-a-kind per subject — became a hallmark of the post-1977 phase, preserved and released formally rather than discarded.
Key Portfolios Executed with Smith
Smith’s printer’s stamp appears on many of Warhol’s most celebrated late works, including:
- Hammer and Sickle (1977) — their first major joint project
- Ten Portraits of Jews of the Twentieth Century (1980) — the rectangular portrait-format series
- Shoes (1980)
- Myths (1981)
- Endangered Species (1983)
- Reigning Queens (1985)
- Ads (1985)
- Cowboys and Indians (1986)
- Camouflage (1987) and Moonwalk (1987), among the last completed before Warhol’s death
Artistic and Personal Context
Beyond technical execution, Smith helped sustain the Factory’s high-output rhythm while allowing Warhol to focus on concept and approval. Their working relationship reflected Warhol’s evolving practice in the 1980s: moving from repetitive single-image portfolios toward thematic suites with greater individuality per print. Smith also collaborated with other artists (including Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, and Robert Rauschenberg) and produced his own screenprints, some of which paid homage to Warhol (e.g., the 1989 Homage to Andy Warhol portfolio with diamond dust).
Tragically, Smith died young — on February 15, 1989, at age 37 (or 38 depending on sources), from complications related to AIDS, just two years after Warhol and shortly after attending a Warhol retrospective opening. His early death cut short a promising independent career.
Legacy in the Market and Scholarship
The Warhol–Smith collaboration is widely credited with defining the distinctive look of 1980s Pop prints: bold, polished, and technically ambitious. Trial proofs from this era, bearing evidence of Smith’s studio process, routinely achieve premiums at auction due to their uniqueness and direct link to the creative workflow. Complete sets from series like Myths, Endangered Species, and the Jews portfolio continue to perform strongly, partly because of the reliability and innovation Smith brought to production.
This partnership represents one of the most productive and visually impactful collaborations in Warhol’s career, bridging his Pop roots with the refined, large-scale editions that dominate today’s auction market.
1983 Endangered Species
At the instigation of New York art dealers Ronald and Frayda Feldman—passionate activists for environmental causes—Andy Warhol created his vibrant Endangered Species portfolio in 1983. The series comprises ten screenprints in colors on Lenox Museum Board, each measuring 96 x 96 cm (38 x 38 in.), published in an edition of 150 signed and numbered impressions plus 30 artist's proofs. Warhol also produced unique canvases based on the same images. The animals depicted were selected from among the most charismatic and threatened species protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973, including the African Elephant, Bald Eagle, Bighorn Ram, Black Rhinoceros, Giant Panda, Grévy’s Zebra, Orangutan, Pine Barrens Tree Frog, San Francisco Silverspot Butterfly, and Siberian Tiger.
The playful, pop-infused effect is more pronounced here than in many of Warhol’s other series. He treats these animals as new “stars,” adorning them with bold, psychedelic colors in the same irreverent spirit he once applied to Marilyn Monroe or Mao Zedong. Most images derive from photographs, but the Giant Panda stands out for its return to the stylized, graphic line work of Warhol’s early career, when he was still heavily influenced by commercial advertising and illustration.
In preparing the portfolio, Warhol experimented extensively, producing multiple color variations (trial proofs) for each animal before finalizing the composition for the edition. These unique trial proofs—totaling 30 sets—were preserved and later released as a formal, highly desirable addition to the project. Each trial proof is one-of-a-kind, offering collectors a rare glimpse into the artist’s decision-making process.
Full sets of the Endangered Species portfolio are exceptionally rare at auction.
Only a handful appear on the market each year, with complete numbered editions from the 150-print run surfacing infrequently—often once or less annually in recent seasons. This scarcity has driven strong performance: a complete set (edition 83/150) achieved a record $3,438,000 at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale in New York in 2023, far exceeding its high estimate and representing a dramatic increase from earlier sales (one comparable set fetched around $45,000 in 1991). Individual prints and trial proofs have also set records, reflecting sustained collector enthusiasm even amid broader market fluctuations.
The Warhol print market overall has shown resilience in the mid-2020s, with iconic 1980s portfolios like Endangered Species benefiting from thematic relevance, visual immediacy, and tight supply. While some Pop Art segments have cooled, high-quality, complete sets of this series continue to defy softer trends, appealing to both established collectors and those drawn to its environmental message.
Warhol’s engagement with biodiversity extended beyond this portfolio. In 1986, he collaborated with pathologist Kurt Benirschke on the book Vanishing Animals, illustrating it with colorful drawings and screenprints of lesser-known but equally threatened species. These images, less iconic than those in Endangered Species, further underscore Warhol’s commitment to raising awareness about extinction through his unmistakable Pop aesthetic.
The playful, pop-infused effect is more pronounced here than in many of Warhol’s other series. He treats these animals as new “stars,” adorning them with bold, psychedelic colors in the same irreverent spirit he once applied to Marilyn Monroe or Mao Zedong. Most images derive from photographs, but the Giant Panda stands out for its return to the stylized, graphic line work of Warhol’s early career, when he was still heavily influenced by commercial advertising and illustration.
In preparing the portfolio, Warhol experimented extensively, producing multiple color variations (trial proofs) for each animal before finalizing the composition for the edition. These unique trial proofs—totaling 30 sets—were preserved and later released as a formal, highly desirable addition to the project. Each trial proof is one-of-a-kind, offering collectors a rare glimpse into the artist’s decision-making process.
Full sets of the Endangered Species portfolio are exceptionally rare at auction.
Only a handful appear on the market each year, with complete numbered editions from the 150-print run surfacing infrequently—often once or less annually in recent seasons. This scarcity has driven strong performance: a complete set (edition 83/150) achieved a record $3,438,000 at Christie’s Post-War and Contemporary Art Day Sale in New York in 2023, far exceeding its high estimate and representing a dramatic increase from earlier sales (one comparable set fetched around $45,000 in 1991). Individual prints and trial proofs have also set records, reflecting sustained collector enthusiasm even amid broader market fluctuations.
The Warhol print market overall has shown resilience in the mid-2020s, with iconic 1980s portfolios like Endangered Species benefiting from thematic relevance, visual immediacy, and tight supply. While some Pop Art segments have cooled, high-quality, complete sets of this series continue to defy softer trends, appealing to both established collectors and those drawn to its environmental message.
Warhol’s engagement with biodiversity extended beyond this portfolio. In 1986, he collaborated with pathologist Kurt Benirschke on the book Vanishing Animals, illustrating it with colorful drawings and screenprints of lesser-known but equally threatened species. These images, less iconic than those in Endangered Species, further underscore Warhol’s commitment to raising awareness about extinction through his unmistakable Pop aesthetic.
TP 14/30
2026 SOLD for $ 4.5M by Christie's
The Christie's lot is a complete unique Trial Proof (TP) set, numbered TP 14/30, signed and numbered by Warhol (variously on edges/reverses), with the original portfolio box and publisher/artist copyright stamps. It comes from the Ronald Feldman Gallery provenance. It was sold for $ 4.5M from a lower estimate of $ 3M on May 21, 2026, lot 440.
Key Features of the TP 14/30 Set
Warhol's standard edition (150) uses bold, consistent Pop Art colors that turn the animals into glamorous "superstars" with high-contrast separations, vibrant backgrounds, and energetic outlines. TPs allow more variation—sometimes more saturated, muted, clashing, or unexpected palettes, revealing the printing process and Warhol's iterative creativity.
Specific differences often seen:
The complete set T.P. 16/30 of ten silkscreens was sold by Christie's on November 13, 2014 for $ 1.27M, lot 388. They are signed and have on the reverse the copyright inkstamps of the publisher Ronald Feldman Fine Arts and of the artist. The original justification page and cardboard portfolio box are also included.
Key Features of the TP 14/30 Set
- Uniqueness: Trial proofs were early test prints Warhol used to experiment with color combinations, layering, registration, and composition before finalizing the commercial edition. Each of the 30 TP sets (and individual prints within them) is unique—colors, intensities, and effects vary from the standard edition and across TPs.
- Rarity and Value: Only 30 TP sets exist (besides the main edition of 150, plus APs, PPs, etc.). Complete TP sets appear infrequently at auction and command strong premiums due to their one-of-a-kind nature. Individual TPs have recently achieved six-figure results.
- Technical Aspects: Screenprints with vibrant, layered colors; hand-drawn line work; printed by Rupert Jasen Smith. TPs often show bolder experimentation in hue, saturation, and contrast. Accompanied by the original cardboard portfolio box.
- Condition & Presentation: As a complete set in the original box, it is highly desirable for collectors.
Warhol's standard edition (150) uses bold, consistent Pop Art colors that turn the animals into glamorous "superstars" with high-contrast separations, vibrant backgrounds, and energetic outlines. TPs allow more variation—sometimes more saturated, muted, clashing, or unexpected palettes, revealing the printing process and Warhol's iterative creativity.
Specific differences often seen:
- Backgrounds & Overlays — Standard editions have more uniform, "finished" fields (e.g., solid or gradient backgrounds). TPs may feature drips, varied opacity, shifted hues, or alternative color blocks.
- Animal Rendering — Outlines and fills in TPs can be brighter, more acidic, or use unexpected complements (e.g., intensified reds/pinks on the rhinoceros or zebra stripes with greater vibrancy/contrast).
- Overall Effect — TPs feel more raw and exploratory, highlighting Warhol's process, while the edition of 150 is polished and consistent for broader appeal.
The complete set T.P. 16/30 of ten silkscreens was sold by Christie's on November 13, 2014 for $ 1.27M, lot 388. They are signed and have on the reverse the copyright inkstamps of the publisher Ronald Feldman Fine Arts and of the artist. The original justification page and cardboard portfolio box are also included.
125/150
2021 SOLD for £ 2.9M by Sotheby's
The set 125/150 was sold for £ 2.9M from a lower estimate of £ 350K by Sotheby's on March 17, 2021, lot 84. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
83/150
2023 SOLD for $ 3.44M by Christie's
The complete set 83/150 was sold for $ 3.44M from a lower estimate of $ 2M for sale by Christie's on November 10, 2023, lot 168. The ten prints are assembled on a Lenox Museum Board 193 x 480 cm.
91/150
2022 SOLD for $ 3.1M by Sotheby's
The complete set 91/150 was sold for $ 3.1M from a lower estimate of $ 1.2M by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 12.
64/150
2021 SOLD for $ 1.87M by Heritage
The set 64/150 was sold for $ 1.87M by Heritage on October 19, 2021, lot 65060. It had been consigned by its original owner who had carefully protected them from day light by keeping them under her bed in their original box.
The 32/150 was sold for $ 530K by Christie's on October 27, 2010. The 103/150 was sold for $ 725K by Heritage on October 28, 2015.
The 32/150 was sold for $ 530K by Christie's on October 27, 2010. The 103/150 was sold for $ 725K by Heritage on October 28, 2015.
1985 Ads
2026 SOLD for $ 2.9M by Sotheby's
Ads refers to the symbols of consumerism including automobilia, movies, entertainment and computer.
This poster-like series of ten screen prints 97 x 97 cm was edited in 1985 by Warhol in 190 copies plus 30 artist's proofs.
The complete Ads set 57/190 was sold for $ 2.9M from a lower estimate of $ 2M for sale by Sotheby's on May 15, 2026, lot 663. The complete Ads set 176/190 was sold for $ 1.74M by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 8.
Andy Warhol's Ads (1985) is a complete portfolio of 10 screenprints on Lenox Museum Board (each ~38 x 38 inches / 965 x 965 mm), edition of 190 plus artist's proofs.
It features stylized recreations of iconic American advertisements and cultural symbols from the mid-20th century onward, including: Apple (Macintosh logo), Chanel No. 5, Volkswagen, Mobilgas, Paramount, Life Savers, Blackglama (Judy Garland), Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean), Van Heusen (Ronald Reagan), and The New Spirit (Donald Duck). The prints mix photographic elements with expressive, hand-drawn qualities—loose lines, painterly flourishes, subtle misalignments, and vibrant overlays—giving them a more gestural, less rigidly mechanical feel than much of Warhol's earlier work.
Artist's Intention
Warhol, who began his career as a commercial illustrator in the 1950s, returned to advertising imagery late in life. The series celebrates and critiques consumer culture by elevating ephemeral ads, logos, celebrities, and products to high-art status. It reflects his longstanding fascination with mass media, branding, celebrity, and the American dream—turning commerce into modern myth or "portraits of modern faith." It also serves as a partial retrospective, blending irony, seduction, and commentary on how advertising shapes desire and identity.
Reception in the Period
Created just two years before Warhol's death in 1987, Ads was well-received as a quintessential late Pop statement. It embodied his signature blend of appropriation and repetition while highlighting consumerism's power. Critics and collectors appreciated its layered visual and cultural relevance; it has since become highly sought-after, with strong auction performance reflecting enduring interest in Warhol's engagement with capitalism and image-making.
Technique Comparison with Endangered Species (1983)
Both are screenprint portfolios (10 prints each, on similar large-format Lenox Museum Board paper) produced with Ronald Feldman and printer Rupert Jasen Smith, using Warhol's characteristic photo-silkscreen process: photographic sources transferred to screens, then printed in vibrant, layered colors with variations.
Minimal to none directly. Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat collaborated intensively in the mid-1980s (around 1984–1985), with Basquiat painting over Warhol's logos and ads in joint works, introducing raw, expressive graffiti elements that contrasted Warhol's polished Pop imagery. This highlighted tensions around consumerism—Basquiat often critiqued it more confrontationally through text, skulls, and social commentary.
Ads (1985) was produced during/near this period and shares some appropriation of ads/logos, but its roots are in Warhol's own early career and longstanding Pop irony. Any heightened "anti-consumerist" edge (more celebration/critique than outright rejection) likely stems from their friendship's influence on Warhol's late style, but the series primarily extends Warhol's pre-existing themes rather than deriving directly from Basquiat.
Comparison of the Two Sotheby's Auctions (see below)
This poster-like series of ten screen prints 97 x 97 cm was edited in 1985 by Warhol in 190 copies plus 30 artist's proofs.
The complete Ads set 57/190 was sold for $ 2.9M from a lower estimate of $ 2M for sale by Sotheby's on May 15, 2026, lot 663. The complete Ads set 176/190 was sold for $ 1.74M by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 8.
Andy Warhol's Ads (1985) is a complete portfolio of 10 screenprints on Lenox Museum Board (each ~38 x 38 inches / 965 x 965 mm), edition of 190 plus artist's proofs.
It features stylized recreations of iconic American advertisements and cultural symbols from the mid-20th century onward, including: Apple (Macintosh logo), Chanel No. 5, Volkswagen, Mobilgas, Paramount, Life Savers, Blackglama (Judy Garland), Rebel Without a Cause (James Dean), Van Heusen (Ronald Reagan), and The New Spirit (Donald Duck). The prints mix photographic elements with expressive, hand-drawn qualities—loose lines, painterly flourishes, subtle misalignments, and vibrant overlays—giving them a more gestural, less rigidly mechanical feel than much of Warhol's earlier work.
Artist's Intention
Warhol, who began his career as a commercial illustrator in the 1950s, returned to advertising imagery late in life. The series celebrates and critiques consumer culture by elevating ephemeral ads, logos, celebrities, and products to high-art status. It reflects his longstanding fascination with mass media, branding, celebrity, and the American dream—turning commerce into modern myth or "portraits of modern faith." It also serves as a partial retrospective, blending irony, seduction, and commentary on how advertising shapes desire and identity.
Reception in the Period
Created just two years before Warhol's death in 1987, Ads was well-received as a quintessential late Pop statement. It embodied his signature blend of appropriation and repetition while highlighting consumerism's power. Critics and collectors appreciated its layered visual and cultural relevance; it has since become highly sought-after, with strong auction performance reflecting enduring interest in Warhol's engagement with capitalism and image-making.
Technique Comparison with Endangered Species (1983)
Both are screenprint portfolios (10 prints each, on similar large-format Lenox Museum Board paper) produced with Ronald Feldman and printer Rupert Jasen Smith, using Warhol's characteristic photo-silkscreen process: photographic sources transferred to screens, then printed in vibrant, layered colors with variations.
- Similarities: Bold Pop colors, high contrast, repetition/appropriation, and treatment of subjects as "icons." Both add expressive elements (e.g., hand-drawn lines or painterly accents) to photographic bases, creating tension between mechanical reproduction and artistic intervention.
- Differences: Ads often incorporates more hand-drawn, gestural qualities and a return to Warhol's early commercial-illustration roots, with looser lines and irregularities for a dynamic, less flat effect. Endangered Species (animals like panda, tiger, zebra, etc., from the Endangered Species Act) uses vivid "makeup"-like coloring on wildlife photos for greater pop-icon visibility and urgency, with strong contrasts and layered screens but a focus on naturalistic subjects stylized like celebrity portraits. Ads feels more retrospective and consumer-focused; Endangered Species leans toward awareness/advocacy with its conservation theme.
Minimal to none directly. Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat collaborated intensively in the mid-1980s (around 1984–1985), with Basquiat painting over Warhol's logos and ads in joint works, introducing raw, expressive graffiti elements that contrasted Warhol's polished Pop imagery. This highlighted tensions around consumerism—Basquiat often critiqued it more confrontationally through text, skulls, and social commentary.
Ads (1985) was produced during/near this period and shares some appropriation of ads/logos, but its roots are in Warhol's own early career and longstanding Pop irony. Any heightened "anti-consumerist" edge (more celebration/critique than outright rejection) likely stems from their friendship's influence on Warhol's late style, but the series primarily extends Warhol's pre-existing themes rather than deriving directly from Basquiat.
Comparison of the Two Sotheby's Auctions (see below)
- 2022 "Yours Truly" Auction (important private collection sale, Oct 27, 2022): Featured the complete Ads set (ed. 176/190) as a premium lot with estimate $700,000–$1,200,000 USD. It emphasized provenance and Warhol's elevation of advertising symbols. The sale overall was strong for Warhol prints.
- 2026 Contemporary Day Auction: Offered another complete set (ed. 57/190), signed/numbered, in a broader day sale context with many Warhol lots. These sales typically have more mixed contemporary offerings compared to the star-studded single-collection format of "Yours Truly."
