Drawing of a cat in sitting position, side view with head slightly turned downward. Cat is painted a light green with red eye. The name "Sam" written in the middle to animal's right. Illustration for "25 Cats Name[d] Sam and One Blue Pussy", Andy Warhol, New York, circa 1954 (Feldman & Schellmann IV.52B-68B)

In the 1950s, long before he had invented himself as pop art’s pioneer, Andy Warhol was making ends meet by working as a freelance children’s book illustrator for Doubleday. When his mother, Julia Warhola found out about her son’s destitute conditions, she moved into Andy’s tiny New York apartment, intent on taking care of him and helping him get by. The two shared the small apartment with 25 cats—all but one named Sam. The sole outlier, Julia’s most beloved companion, was named Hester.

In 1954, Andy and Julia released a limited-edition artist’s book ungrammatically titled 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy. The book featured Andy’s signature watercolor drawings in vibrant pop-art colors and calligraphy by Julia. Incidentally, the book only contained 16 cats. Despite its technical mistakes, Warhol’s “Cats Name Sam” represent some of the earliest works available by the artist on the market.

This object has the following keywords:

• Animal
• Drawing
• Work on paper

This object was included in the following exhibitions:

• Modernist Masters, Contemporary Icons: Highlights from the Old Jail Art Center The Rockwell Museum , 2/3/2017 - 4/23/2017
• The Ruby Portfolio , 2/22/2020 - 8/22/2020

This object is a member of the following portfolios: