Cats Named Sam IV 60
Cats Named Sam IV 60
Unsigned Print
Andy Warhol
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23 x 15cm, Edition of 190, Lithograph
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Meaning & Analysis
Printed in 1954, Cats Named Sam IV 60 is an offset lithograph by Andy Warhol that depicts a slender cat in a cool, teal colour against a plain backdrop. Sitting on its hind legs, the cat gazes at the floor with its bright, yellow eyes, a characteristic feature of the cats in this series. To the left of the composition, the cat's name, Sam, is written in elegant calligraphy.
Cats Named Sam IV 60 is part of the Cats Named Sam series, produced by Warhol in 1954 near the start of the artist's career. One of 16 lithograph prints, all of cats, Cats Named Sam IV 60 is one of Warhol's earliest works on the market today. The inspiration for this series came from Warhol's mother, Julia, who lived with him at the time in New York, along with her 25 cats. The prints were produced by Warhol to accompany the children's book he also published, 25 Cats Name (sic) Sam and One Blue Pussy.
The print features Warhol’s signature blotted line technique which came to mark much of the early work he made in the 1940s and 1950s. Cats Named Sam IV 60 captures Warhol’s technique of combining simple black lines with hand painted blocks of colour that could be added after the process of making the lithograph.
Andy Warhol was a leading figure of the Pop Art movement and is often considered the father of Pop Art. Born in 1928, Warhol allowed cultural references of the 20th century to drive his work. From the depiction of glamorous public figures, such as Marilyn Monroe, to the everyday Campbell’s Soup Can, the artist challenged what was considered art by blurring the boundaries between high art and mass consumerism. Warhol's preferred screen printing technique further reiterated his obsession with mass culture, enabling art to be seen as somewhat of a commodity through the reproduced images in multiple colour ways.
