LOT #80069 |
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1985 Pete Rose Original Limited Edition Screenprint by Andy Warhol....
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Sold on Feb 26, 2022 for:
$55,200.00
Bid Source: Internet bidder
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Description
A commission fit for a Hit King...
1985 Pete Rose Original Limited Edition Screenprint by Andy
Warhol."So Andy calls me up and says that on some pictures he's batting on the left side, and some on the right side, and I said, 'That's right - he's a switch hitter. And Andy broke up in hysterical laughing on the other end of the phone line, but his context of 'switch hitter' was completely different."
It was an odd couple to say the least. Rose had never heard of Warhol, and Warhol had never heard of Rose, but the most famous artist of his generation was not one to turn down a $100,000 commission. He'd been contacted by the Cincinnati Art Museum as the city's greatest baseball star edged ever closer to Ty Cobb's career hits record, requesting an artwork to commemorate the historic occasion. Carl Solway, a leading art dealer in Cincinnati, had suggested the commission, correctly predicting that the museum could benefit from the enormous local and national fanfare. Warhol had hoped to meet Rose in person to take Polaroids from which to create his screenprints, but scheduling conflicts necessitated the use of existing photography instead. In the end, Warhol purchased the rights to an image from Cincinnati photographer Gordon Baer.
Warhol made four color variations of the print, formatted to mimic the appearance of a baseball card, and the quartet did indeed become the star of the Cincinnati Art Museum's collection in the fall and winter of 1985. The commission also stipulated the production of fifty signed prints, which quickly sold out at a price of $2,500. Today those prints are highly coveted by Warhol and baseball collectors alike, though rarely encountered due to their tremendous scarcity. The original cover letter that accompanied this print when delivered to its buyer in 1985 is included in the lot.
This print is numbered "23/50" and signed and dated at the bottom border by the artist. It measures 32x40" in size and presents in pristine condition. Original Cincinnati Art Museum cover letter. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from Beckett Authentication Services.
Auction Info
2022 February 26 - 27 Winter Platinum Night Sports Auction #50052 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
February, 2022
26th-27th
Saturday-Sunday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 40
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 2,658
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
20% of the successful bid per lot.
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