In 1985, The Cincinnati Art Museum commissioned Andy Warhol to create a four-image screenprint series of baseball legend Pete Rose. Warhol used acrylic on canvas to commemorate Rose’s record-breaking achievement for all-time career hits. He also released an edition of 50 screenprints based on the paintings—Pete Rose 306B—further amplifying the project’s reach.
Rose still holds that record today. He became a hometown hero as the star player for the Cincinnati Reds, who dominated the National League in the 1970s.
By the late 1970s, Warhol had begun to portray athletes alongside actors and musicians. The Pete Rose commission fits within this phase of his work, when sports figures joined his growing pantheon of icons. Warhol also painted hockey stars Wayne Gretzky and Christer Kellgren (Frolunda Hockey Player), whose portraits were prized by both sports fans and art collectors. Other celebrated athletes, including Muhammad Ali, soon followed.
