Understanding Warhol's Catalogue Raisonné
From Screenprints to Sculptures: Cataloguing Warhol’s Art
A catalogue raisonné, or critical catalogue, is a comprehensive, annotated listing of all known works by an artist. This scholarly resource often focuses on specific mediums, which is especially important for artists like Andy Warhol, whose prolific output spanned prints, films, paintings, sculptures, and drawings. More than just an inventory, a catalogue raisonné offers a unique window into an artist’s creative process, providing invaluable insights into their artistic evolution.
The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné stands as a monumental archive, meticulously documenting the extensive and diverse body of work produced by one of history’s most prolific artists.
On this page, we explore the different editions of the Catalogue Raisonné and their crucial role in preserving Warhol’s legacy. For collectors and enthusiasts alike, these volumes offer an indispensable resource for understanding the full breadth of his work.
The Beginnings of a Monumental Project
The decision to embark on this monumental project was not made after Warhol’s passing; it began during his lifetime with Warhol himself playing a role in its creation. This initiative was essential given Warhol’s unique approach to art production—his use of mechanical screenprinting and a factory-like method resulted in an extraordinary number of artworks, each varying in size, color, and edition.
The first edition of Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné was published in 1985 as a collaboration between Frayda Feldman of Ronald Feldman Fine Arts in New York and Jörg Schellmann of Edition Schellmann in Munich. Following Warhol’s death, updated Catalogue Raisonnés were developed to cover his work across all media. Endorsed by the Andy Warhol Foundation, the Catalogue Raisonné continues to be updated, embodying the culmination of rigorous research and scholarly dedication. As new discoveries emerge and additional works are authenticated, this living archive remains one of the best Warhol resources for enthusiasts and collectors.
Warhol's Creative Periods and Mediums
The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné provides an expansive inventory of works across three main mediums, detailing the materials used, exhibition histories, and other pertinent information that sheds light on Warhol’s multifaceted body of work:
Prints
Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné (1962-1987) offers a profound exploration of Warhol’s printmaking innovations. First published in 1985, expanded upon after Warhol’s death and now in its fourth edition, this volume provides invaluable detailed information on Warhol’s prints.
Films
Warhol’s foray into avant-garde cinema is documented in two volumes: Andy Warhol Screen Tests: The Films of Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné, compiled by film historian Callie Angel and The Films of Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné (1963-1965) which documents Warhol’s rarely circulated experiments in film.
Painting, Sculpture, and Drawings
The existing volumes of The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné: Paintings, Sculptures, and Drawings aim to comprehensively catalogue his works from 1961 to 1980. This inclusion promises a rich overview of Warhol’s adaptability and mastery across different forms of art. Upcoming volumes will catalogue Warhol’s art in the ’80s.
Prints
Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné (1962-1987) offers a profound exploration of Warhol’s printmaking innovations. Compiled by Frayda Feldman and Claudia Defendi and later revised in 2003, this volume underscores Warhol’s legacy as a pioneering graphic artist.
Films
Warhol’s foray into avant-garde cinema is documented in two volumes: Andy Warhol Screen Tests: The Films of Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné, compiled by film historian Callie Angel and The Films of Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné (1963-1965) which documents Warhol’s rarely circulated experiments in film. Both of these volumes highlight his experimental approach to motion pictures, extending his artistic expression beyond his most prolific mediums.
Painting, Sculpture, and Drawings
The existing volumes of The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné: Paintings, Sculptures, and Drawings aim to comprehensively catalogue his works from 1961 to 1980. This inclusion promises a rich overview of Warhol’s adaptability and mastery across different forms of art. Upcoming volumes will catalogue Warhol’s art in the ’80s.
The Catalogue Raisonnés listed above are objectively the most comprehensive compilation of Warhol’s works, all of which are publicly endorsed and sponsored by the Andy Warhol Foundation. While research continues to provide new evidence not listed by the volumes in circulation, the catalogues continue to be revised and updated to reflect all of the most up to date and accurate information regarding Warhol’s vast collection of works. The most recent addition to the Catalogue Raisonné is volume six of The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné: Paintings, Sculptures, and Drawings.
As we delve deeper, let’s explore this significant collection of volumes and its continuing role in documenting Warhol’s art.
The Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné: Paintings, Sculptures, and Drawings
The six volumes of this impressive compendium are divided by periods of production, listing an inventory of works created in the three mediums, along with materials used, exhibitions and other relevant information regarding those particular mediums. This structured approach not only chronicles Warhol’s prolific output but also illuminates the diverse methods and mediums he employed throughout his career, offering readers and scholars a coherent and comprehensive understanding of his artistic legacy. These volumes encapsulate the evolution of Warhol’s artistry and thematic focus, offering a detailed lens through which to view his creative journey:
Volume 1: Paintings and Sculpture 1961-1963 (Phaidon 2002) captures the inception of Warhol’s pop art phenomenon, laying the groundwork for his iconic style. This volume documents 546 entries created during his time at the 1342 Lexington Avenue studio and the Firehouse, featuring seminal works such as Comic Strips, Campbell’s Soup Cans, Dance Diagrams, Do It Yourself, Marilyn, Elvis, Liz, Death and Disaster, Ethel Scull, and Photobooth Portraits.
Volume 2: Paintings and Sculptures 1964-1969 (Phaidon 2004) spans two books and chronicles the vibrant period at the Factory, located at 231 East 47th Street. This era, marked by intense creativity and collaboration, includes 1,500 entries, featuring significant works such as Most Wanted Men, Box Sculptures, Jackie, Flowers, Cow Wallpaper, and Silver Clouds.
Volume 3: Paintings and Sculptures 1970-1974 (Phaidon 2010) delves into the transformative post-shooting years at Warhol’s studio at 33 Union Square West. This volume documents 703 entries, including the Rain Machine sculptures, the Mao series, portraits of Man Ray, and over 450 commissioned portraits, reflecting a shift in Warhol’s artistic and personal life.
Volume 4: Paintings late 1974-1976 (Phaidon 2014) covers Warhol’s work during his time at the 860 Broadway studio, with 607 entries. It features notable works such as the Ladies and Gentlemen series, Studio Still Lives, Invisible Sculpture, portraits of Russell Means (The American Indian), and 222 commissioned portraits, highlighting his portrayal of cultural icons and diverse subjects.
Volume 5: Paintings 1976-1978 (Phaidon 2018) is a two-book set that covers Warhol’s provocative and experimental phase at 860 Broadway. This volume includes 687 entries, featuring the Skulls and Hammer and Sickle paintings, Athletes series, Torsos and Sex Parts, the controversial Piss, Oxidation, and Cum paintings, along with Self-Portraits and 81 commissioned portraits, underscoring the subversive core of Warhol’s art.
Volume 6: Paintings and Sculptures mid-1977-1980 (Phaidon 2024) documents Warhol’s prolific output at his 860 Broadway studio, where he remained until 1983. This volume, the last of four covering his 1970s works, includes 741 entries and features the Shadows series, Studio 54 paintings, Retrospective and Reversal series, Hearts, Gems, diamond dust Shadows, and nearly 200 commissioned portraits.
Volume 7: Paintings and Sculptures 1979-1981 (forthcoming) will include nearly 900 entries, spotlighting Warhol’s portraits of Joseph Beuys, the Ten Portraits of Jews of the 20th Century, the Myths series, Diamond Dust Shoes, Dollar Signs, and more than 250 commissioned portraits, continuing the documentation of his late 1970s to early 1980s works.
Given Warhol’s prolific output during the 1980s, as well as his exploration of new mediums such as digital painting, we can anticipate the release of additional Catalogue Raisonnés in the future. These forthcoming volumes will continue to expand our understanding of Warhol’s later works and his innovative approaches to art.
Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987
According to the Andy Warhol Foundation, Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987 is “the authoritative reference source on the subject, illustrating the breadth of Warhol’s work in printmaking and the depth of his innovations in the field, which together secure his position as one of the most important graphic artists of the twentieth century.” Initially published in 1985 while Warhol was still alive, this comprehensive catalogue of his prints has undergone numerous revisions and expansions. The current fourth edition, revised and expanded in 2003 by curators Frayda Feldman and Claudia Defendi, continues to be an essential resource for understanding Warhol’s printmaking legacy.
There are five sections by which Warhol’s work is organized in the Catalogue Raisonné for Prints. Section I refers to early printmaking; Section II encompassed all standard edition published prints; Section IIA includes unique edition prints; Section IIB details trial proof edition prints; and Section III is comprised of unpublished prints.
Section I: Early Printmaking
This first section of the Catalogue Raisonné for prints includes works from 1962 to 1968. This era of Warhol’s work is mostly comprised of small editions that were not meant to be published as large limited edition portfolios. A lot of Warhol’s early printmaking work includes stills from popular movies, such as his print Cagney (I.1) taken from Angels with Dirty Faces and The Kiss (I.2), using a still from Dracula. Warhol also used stills from his own films, such as the eponymous Sleep (I.7) and Blue Movie (I.15). The collection detailed in early printmaking is a small selection, featuring works FS I.1-15.
Section II: Standard Edition Published Prints
The second section of the Catalogue Raisonné is split into three parts: edition prints, unique edition prints (IIA) and trial proof edition prints (IIB). Edition prints refers to Warhol’s prints from 1962 to 1987, many of which were created for museum exhibitions. Almost all of the prints from the section are signed and numbered, and the editions are often more extensive than those from early printmaking, both with more variations and suites as well as numerous prints created from each image, with an average of about 250 edition prints per image.
Section IIA: Unique Edition Prints
Unique edition prints are works that are released as regular edition prints, even though each print is unique, such as the works in the Shadows suite. Most of the works were created between 1975 and 1979 and were published by Warhol himself under the title of “Andy Warhol Enterprises, Inc.,” though some were commissioned by outside sources, such as Double Mickey Mouse (IIA.269) and Mao (IIA.89). One print from each unique portfolio is displayed in Section II, but Section IIA contains about two or three prints from each unique suite, displaying the color and composition variations that the individual pieces entail.
Section IIB: Trial Proof Edition Prints
In the 1980s, Warhol expanded on his unique edition prints by choosing a limited number of proofs from each subject and highlighting them, often for their exceptional compositional or color variance among the group. During this period, Warhol published a trial proof for almost every work he did, as he suites started to portray a group of different subjects, rather than variations of just one subject. This shift allowed him to publish many more edition prints, as well as unique trial proof editions. Trial proofs are some of the most valuable and diverse prints from Warhol’s oeuvre, as they are all unique and in limited quantity.
Section III: Unpublished Prints
Section III is divided into three parts of Warhol’s unpublished prints: Section IIIA, personal projects; Section IIIB, commissioned projects; and Section IIIC, portraits. However, these parts are all in the same section of the book, rather than being separated like Section II, IIA and IIB. Warhol’s unpublished prints are often in very limited, unnumbered editions and few are signed in comparison to his standard edition prints. Section IIIA contains personal projects, which are prints that Warhol often made as gifts for close friends, along with some unpublished variations of work that echoes his published suites. Most of the works from Section IIIB are commissioned projects for newspapers and magazines from early on in Warhol’s career, when he was a commercial illustrator. Section IIIC is primarily comprised of prints that are almost identical to his painted portraits, including subjects such as Truman Capote, Judy Garland and Giorgio Armani. As Henry Geldzahler is quotes in Andy Warhol Portraits, “[Warhol] was, in fact, the first artist for whom there was literally no difference in his work in painting and printmaking, except the material used to support the image; Andy used the same screens on canvas as he used on paper.”
Decoding Warhol's Screen Printing Lexicon
Each entry in Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987, from individual prints like Chanel II.354 to complete portfolios like Ads (350-395), adheres to systematic cataloging conventions that transcends mere naming, employing a chronological method that enriches the understanding of Warhol’s thematic explorations.
AP (Artist’s Proof) It is used to see the state of the print during the process. Also, intended for the artist’s personal use, commonly about 10% of the edition (but that can be higher, as in this case). Warhol used these editions as forms of payment and gifts to friends.
EP (Exhibition Proofs): These are of equal quality to the edition and are numbered EP 1, etc. These prints were created exclusively for exhibitions, which is why the number printed is typically in the single digits.
HC (“Hors Commerce” = “Not for Sale”): These are of equal quality to the edition and are numbered HC 1, etc. Usually given to collaborators, or as samples to show dealers and galleries.
PP (Printer’s Proof): These are of equal quality to the edition and are numbered PP 1, etc. The printer retains these to be used as a reference. Warhol paid his printer with these editions. The printer was then at his own discretion to keep the prints for himself or sell them.
TP (Trial Proofs): These are the initial prints, which are pulled during the processing of an edition and usually reveal color and/or compositional changes. Trial proofs are the most rare as each print is, compositionally, one of a kind.
CTP (Color Trial Proofs): Equivalent to trial proofs, but are not published in editions.
BAT (“Bon à tirer”/ “good to print”): This is the print selected by the artist and the publisher to be the image for the edition.
Cancellation: This is the final impression before the screens are washed.
How Collectors Use the Catalogue Raisonné for Prints
At Revolver Gallery, we consult the Catalogue Raisonné every day. It is a powerful tool in our authentication toolkit, as it helps us to verify the authenticity of Warhol prints based on documented criteria. Apart from its value as a resource for information, it deepens our understanding and appreciation of Warhol’s printmaking legacy. This comprehensive reference guides our educational initiatives and enhances our ability to share Warhol’s artistic journey with collectors and enthusiasts alike. So here are some tips we would like to share with collectors.
Reading for Details
The Catalogue Raisonné provides exhaustive details for each print series, including:
- Complete edition information, which includes portfolio size, paper information, and dimensions for each series.
- Details like numbering, signature locations, and catalogue numbers can be cross-checked with artwork that comes into your collection.
- By including printer and publisher details, you can enhance the credibility and value of each artwork in your collection.
Visual Comparison - Color Variations
Warhol’s print portfolios often use the same source image but display variations in composition and color. The Catalogue Raisonné can help you to with:
- Color Variations: By referencing the detailed documentation, you can distinguish between the different color schemes Warhol employed, enriching your appreciation of his artistic choices.
- Accurate Cataloging: You can get edition size, dating, numbering, and rubber stamp information for your prints.
Identifying Portfolio Variations - Trial Proofs (TP)
Warhol created numerous trial proofs to experiment with different color palettes before finalizing the main series. The Catalogue Raisonné for prints aids collectors in:
- Identifying and Matching Proofs: The catalogue provides critical details that help collectors to match specific characteristics of these experimental pieces.
- Finding Treasures: These rare trial proofs that highlight Warhol’s experimental approach are especially valuable to collectors and appreciate greatly in value.
Portraits and Individual Works
Warhol’s commissioned portraits span both paintings and screenprints, each considered unique with few variations. The Catalogue Raisonné assists collectors in:
- Verify Unique Characteristics: You can confirm the authenticity of portraits by cross-referencing names, years, catalogue numbers, and mediums used.
- Maintain Detailed Records: Cataloging exhaustive details like dimensions, printer, and publisher information, ensures that every piece’s history is accurately documented.
Discover Our Collection of Andy Warhol Prints
Ready to explore Warhol’s prints further? Visit our All Artworks page to view our extensive collection. With your deeper understanding of Warhol’s screenprinting process and the meticulous cataloging of his works, you’re now equipped to fully appreciate the diversity and brilliance of Warhol’s prints. As you explore, you’ll notice the intricate details and historical context that make each piece unique. Our collection is enriched with in-depth analysis and historical information, providing a comprehensive view of Warhol’s artistic career and process. Start your journey today and find the perfect piece to add to your collection.
