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Cats Named Sam

Cats
Named Sam

Created before fame, in 1954, and inspired by his mother’s 25 cats, Andy Warhol created a children’s book containing 16 lithographs, accompanied by his mother’s calligraphy, and hand-coloured. The book itself is extremely rare but the individual print series testifies to Warhol’s early love of bold, block colour.

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Meaning & Analysis
10 facts

Andy Warhol prints for sale

Cats Named Sam (complete set) - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam (complete set) Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£70,000-£100,000 VALUE (EST.)

$130,000-$190,000 VALUE (EST.)

$120,000-$170,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥610,000-¥870,000 VALUE (EST.)

€80,000-€120,000 VALUE (EST.)

$680,000-$970,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥12,150,000-¥17,360,000 VALUE (EST.)

$90,000-$120,000 VALUE (EST.)

13% AAGR (5YR)

TradingFloor

2 in network
Cats Named Sam IV 51 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 51 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£4,350-£6,500 VALUE (EST.)

$8,000-$12,500 VALUE (EST.)

$7,500-$11,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥40,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€5,000-€7,500 VALUE (EST.)

$40,000-$60,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥760,000-¥1,130,000 VALUE (EST.)

$5,500-$8,000 VALUE (EST.)

-7% AAGR (5YR)

TradingFloor

1 in network
4 want this
Cats Named Sam IV 52 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 52 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

6% AAGR (5YR)

TradingFloor

1 want this
Cats Named Sam IV 53 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 53 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

POA

-10% AAGR (5YR)
Cats Named Sam IV 54 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 54 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

POA

-2% AAGR (5YR)
Cats Named Sam IV 57 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 57 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

POA

-8% AAGR (5YR)

TradingFloor

2 want this
Cats Named Sam IV 59 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 59 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

-8% AAGR (5YR)

TradingFloor

2 in network
1 want this
Cats Named Sam IV 60 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 60 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

-14% AAGR (5YR)
Cats Named Sam IV 61 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 61 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

31% AAGR (5YR)
Cats Named Sam IV 62 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 62 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

-12% AAGR (5YR)

TradingFloor

2 want this
Cats Named Sam IV 63 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 63 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

10% AAGR (5YR)
Cats Named Sam IV 65 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 65 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

2% AAGR (5YR)
Cats Named Sam IV 66 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 66 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

-3% AAGR (5YR)

TradingFloor

2 want this
Cats Named Sam IV 67 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 67 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

17% AAGR (5YR)
Cats Named Sam IV 68 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 68 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£5,000-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$9,500-$13,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥45,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€6,000-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥860,000-¥1,200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$6,000-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

-7% AAGR (5YR)

TradingFloor

1 in network
3 want this
Cats Named Sam IV 64 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 64 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

£4,600-£7,000 VALUE (EST.)

$8,500-$13,500 VALUE (EST.)

$7,500-$12,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥40,000-¥60,000 VALUE (EST.)

€5,500-€8,000 VALUE (EST.)

$45,000-$70,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥800,000-¥1,220,000 VALUE (EST.)

$5,500-$8,500 VALUE (EST.)

9% AAGR (5YR)
Cats Named Sam IV 56 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 56 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

POA

Cats Named Sam IV 58 - Unsigned Print by Andy Warhol 1954 - MyArtBroker
Cats Named Sam IV 58 Unsigned Print 
Andy Warhol

POA

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Meaning & Analysis

Aside from an obsession with celebrity and consumer culture, Warhol dedicated a large body of work to depicting cats, as seen in this series. Before making it as an artist Warhol worked as a freelance commercial and children’s book illustrator. He lived in an apartment on East 57th Street with his mother Julia Warhola and 25 cats who all shared the same name. In 1954 he published a children's book called 25 Cats Name (sic) Sam and One Blue Pussy for which he produced 16 – not 25 despite what the title suggests – lithographs accompanied by his mother’s exquisite calligraphy. The original book is extremely rare but the prints have survived and are each unique, having been hand coloured by Warhol or his friends. These are some of the earliest works by Warhol on the market today and they offer a rare insight into his playful outlook and talent for colour.

The cats in the series vary from fuchsia pink – Sam 51– to bright yellow – the most famous feline from the series, Sam 58 – to elegant brick red – Sam 65 – to the more traditional tabby of Sam 54, startlingly contrasted by the One Blue Pussy of the title, known here as Sam 68. With this rainbow menagerie Warhol appears to be testing the possibilities of combining the simple and elegant lines of his sketches with the bright blocks of colour that could be added after the process of making the lithograph. With works such as Sam 66 we can see how the colour is often laid over the lines to create an offset effect. Warhol would exploit this technique further when he turned his hand to screen printing.

Read more about Andy Warhol Prints & Editions

10 Facts About Andy Warhol's Cats Named Sam

All Cats Named Sam facts
Cats Named Sam IV 58 by Andy Warhol

Cats Named Sam IV 58 © Andy Warhol 1954

1. Warhol and his mother owned 25 cats, all named Sam except for one.

Before Warhol had reached superstar status in the art world, he lived with his mother, Julia, in New York throughout the 1950s. In their apartment on East 57th Street in Manhattan, Warhol and his mother owned a lonely cat named Hester. To combat her loneliness, Warhol began to grow his cat colony, eventually owning 25 cats all named 'Sam'.

Cats Named Sam IV 68 by Andy Warhol

Cats Named Sam IV 68 © Andy Warhol 1954

2. The series was made to accompany a children's book Warhol published.

In 1954, Warhol published these prints in a children's book named 25 Cats Name (sic) Sam and One Blue Pussy. Despite the title of the book, Warhol only actually made 16 lithographs of his cats, but clearly studied each of them with an intimate scrutiny.

You Can Lead A Shoe To Water But You Can’t Make It Drink by Andy Warhol

You Can Lead A Shoe To Water But You Can’t Make It Drink © Andy Warhol 1950

3. The series recalls the commercial prints made in Warhol's early career.

Much like his earlier print series, like La Recherche Du Shoe Perdu, Cats Named Sam reveals Warhol's printing style when he was working as a commercial illustrator. Characterised by graphic lines and bold colours, the prints in this series are an early instance of Warhol's application of a commercial aesthetic on a personalised subject.

Cats Named Sam IV 67 by Andy Warhol

Cats Named Sam IV 67 © Andy Warhol 1954

4 - 10.

All Cats Named Sam facts

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Google reviews

4.9

189 reviews

Brian Lester

Wonderful to work with. Kept me posted throughout the process prior to and after purchase until arrival. Waited to confirm receipt and acceptable condition of artwork. Will do business again. Thank you.

14 hours ago

George W

Straightforward, up front and a pleasure to deal with. Jasper sold my print quickly and for a fair price.

6 days ago

Stephen Williams

I received a call from Jasper at the end of January regarding a piece I was hoping to sell. The whole transaction was completely effortless on my behalf and two weeks later the finances had been deposited in my account. Highly recommended.

5 days ago

Richard Moody

Jasper Tordoff at MAB was responsive,courteous and efficient and generally a pleasure to deal with. Overall, as a purchaser, I was impressed with the quality of the service provided by MAB from acquisition and negotiation through to verification and delivery and would be happy to source further art from them.

6 days ago

Joan Taylor

Jasper from My ArtBroker provided a slick and professional service in the sale of my print.Great communication and seamless process from start to finish. Thank you Jasper, I will most definitely recommend My ArtBroker to anyone out there who is considering selling or requiring advice on pieces of artwork.

6 days ago

Brent Ghelfi

Last year I was fortunate to be introduced to the treasure trove of information, insight, and access represented by Joe Syer and MyArtBroker. With Joe’s help, I’ve been able to find and acquire Banksy prints that have appealed to me for many years, and to do so with a level of understanding and confidence I hadn’t thought possible. Joe and his team deliver g...

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