Andy Warhol
(American, 1928-1987)
Pete Rose, 1985
Serigraph on paper
38" x 30" (image)
Pencil-signed edition of 50

Pencil-signed to the bottom margin by both Andy Warhol and Pete Rose. Hand numbered 43/50, with the publisher's blind stamp to the bottom left corner. Archivally presented behind glass in a white frame that measures 49" x 41".

Warhol's image of baseball legend Pete Rose stands as one of the most fascinating 20th century intersections between the disparate worlds of sports and fine art. When the Cincinnati Art Museum commissioned the portrait in anticipation of Pete Rose surpassing Ty Cobb as the all-time hits leader, the two superstars had purportedly not heard of one another. The unusual pairing didn't prevent the commission from being an overwhelming success, as the edition of 50 screenprints offered by the museum sold out very quickly. Because of the small size of the edition and the lasting legacies of both artist and subject, the prints remain scarce to market and popular with collectors of sports memorabilia and pop art alike. Rarer still are impressions signed by both Warhol and Rose-- only a handful from the edition were signed by the Cincinnati Reds great.

Pete Rose began his career with a Rookie of the Year award, quickly developed into a perennial All-Star, garnered a handful of Golden Gloves, was named MVP in 1973, and retired with 4256 hits to his name, a record that will continue to stand for a very long time. His unparalleled effort and tenacity earned him the nickname "Charlie Hustle" from Whitey Ford. Despite his legendary status on the field, Rose has been barred from the Baseball Hall of Fame for betting on the sport, a decision that remains the subject of much contention and debate, perhaps leading to an even more eminent stature in baseball history.

Artist and iconoclast Andy Warhol stands comfortably inside the pantheon of 20th century culture. His status in pop art is arguably unrivaled, injecting the world of fine art with a generous dose of commercial imagery and celebrity appeal, and influencing generations of artists across a variety of media.

Provenance: A private Kansas City collection, thence from a private Arizona collection, thence from the Cincinnati Museum of Art. Very good condition, with no evidence of toning or acid burn to the sheet. In the left margin along the extreme edge of the mat sight is a bit of faint creasing (contained outside of the image and running parallel with the mat). Otherwise pristine. The sheet has not been removed from the frame.