Cats Named Sam IV 68
Cats Named Sam IV 68
Unsigned Print
Andy Warhol
£4,650-£7,000Value Indicator
$9,500-$14,500 Value Indicator
$8,500-$13,000 Value Indicator
¥45,000-¥70,000 Value Indicator
€5,500-€8,000 Value Indicator
$50,000-$70,000 Value Indicator
¥930,000-¥1,390,000 Value Indicator
$6,500-$9,500 Value Indicator
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22 x 14cm, Edition of 190, Lithograph
AAGR (5 years) This estimate blends recent public auction records with our own private sale data and network demand.
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Meaning & Analysis
Printed in 1954, Cats Named Sam IV 68 is an offset lithograph by Andy Warhol that marks the end of the Cats Named Sam series. The print depicts a cat sitting on its hind legs, rendered in blue, staring upwards with its bright orange eyes. The cat dominates the centre of the composition, and beneath it, One Blue Pussy, is written in elegant calligraphy. Cats Named Sam IV 68 contrasts startlingly with the other prints in the series, as it is the only cat that does not have the name Sam written beneath it.
Cats Named Sam IV 68 is part of the Cats Named Sam series, produced by Warhol in 1954 to accompany a children’s book he published privately, 25 Cats Name (sic) Sam and One Blue Pussy. The book and series of 16 lithograph prints were inspired by Warhol’s mother, Julia, who lived with him in his Manhattan apartment, along with her 25 cats, all of whom were called Sam, except the cat in this print, who was called Hester.
This print features Warhol’s signature blotted line technique that was achieved by transferring an ink illustration onto a separate piece of paper, resulting in delicate lines, sometimes dotted or broken. This technique was an early exploration into the process of image reproduction that came to characterise Warhol’s Pop art, making him an icon of 20th century art.
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.
