Title: Santa Claus (FS II.266)
Medium: Screenprint on Lenox Museum Board
Year: 1981
Size: 38″ x 38″
Edition: Edition of 200, 30 AP, 5 PP, 5 EP, singed and numbered in pencil. There are 30 TP signed and numbered in pencil lower left, except Dracula and The Shadow. All regular edition prints have diamond dust, except Dracula; most TP have diamond dust. Portfolio of 10.
Warhol Santa Claus 266
Santa Claus is a fictional character that comes from folkloric tradition that says St. Nicholas (AKA Santa) travels from one house to another, delivering presents to children the night before Christmas. There are many variations of the tradition and story behind Santa Claus, but he has become such a popularized mythical figure that he is a universally recognizable figure, even to many non-christians.
Warhol Santa Claus 266 as Part of Andy Warhol’s Larger Body of Work
Warhol Santa Claus 266 is a part of 10 screenprints in the Myths series that exemplify Warhol’s unerring sense for the powerful motifs of his time. Most of images in Warhol’s Myths series are taken from 1950s television or old Hollywood films. They portray the universal view of America’s once captivating and commanding past. Other pieces 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. While each of these characters has a strong, sometimes unpleasant persona, they are distinctly separated from reality. It has been said that Warhol considered each of these characters to be facets of his personality.
