Uncle Sam by Andy Warhol

Uncle Sam by Andy Warhol

The Myths Portfolio is one of Andy Warhol’s most sought after collections. Andy Warhol’s Myths collection contains ten screen prints of iconic mythical figures, including Santa Claus, Mickey Mouse and Superman, among many others.From the 1960s on, Andy Warhol exhibited an unerring sense for the powerful motifs of his time – contemporary images that capture the modern imagination as completely as the gods and goddesses of ancient mythology once did.

In Myths, Warhol’s 1981 portfolio of 10 screen prints, he was referring not to remote civilizations, but to the beginnings of the cinema and the imaginary characters loved and recognized by millions all over the world.  Most images in Warhol’s Myths series are taken from old Hollywood films or 1950s television and portray the universal view of America’s once enchanted and powerful past.  Included in the series are characters loved by children such as Mickey Mouse, Howdy Doody, and Santa Claus, as well as fictional figures like Dracula, The Wicked Witch of the West, and Uncle Sam.

More than twenty years after his death, Andy Warhol remains one of the most influential figures in contemporary art and culture. Warhol’s life and work inspires creative thinkers worldwide thanks to his enduring imagery, his artfully cultivated celebrity, and the ongoing research of dedicated scholars. His impact as an artist is far deeper and greater than his one prescient observation that “everyone will be world famous for fifteen minutes.” His omnivorous curiosity resulted in an enormous body of work that spanned every available medium and most importantly contributed to the collapse of boundaries between high and low culture.