ANDY WARHOL, CATS NAMED SAM IV 67, CATS NAMED SAM, SIGNED PRINT, EDITION OF 190, 1954
Printed in 1954, Cats Named Sam IV 67 is an offset lithograph by Andy Warhol that encapsulates the beginning of Warhol’s career as a Pop artist. This print depicts a dynamic cat in a crouching position rendered in bright yellow against a plain backdrop. The cat’s arched back is accentuated by the black ink lines, achieved through Warhol’s signature blotted line technique which he developed in many of his commercial illustrations while working as a freelance commercial illustrator in the 1940s and 1950s.
Moving from commercials to cats, Cats Named Sam IV 67 is part of the Cats Named Sam series, produced by Warhol in 1954 to accompany the children’s book he published, 25 Cats Name (sic) Sam and One Blue Pussy, which was inspired by his mother, Julia, who was living with him at the time in his apartment on East 57th Street in New York. Julia had 25 cats, all of whom were called Sam (except one). The cat’s name, Sam, is in fact written by Julia in elegant calligraphy below that cat in the centre of the composition.
This print captures Warhol’s playful use of colour which has come to characterise his prints. Each print in the Cats Named Sam series has a unique colour composition and was hand coloured by Warhol or his friends.
Read more about Cats Named Sam by Andy Warhol.
ABOUT ANDY WARHOL
Widely considered to be the father of Pop Art, Andy Warhol has influenced countless artists, designers and musicians and become an icon of the 20th century. Known as much for his look as his art, his name is synonymous with the celebrity culture and mass consumerism which came to define the American Dream. Learn more about Andy Warhol.
