Introduction
In 1983, Zürich-based art dealer Bruno Bischofberger commissioned Andy Warhol to create a series of paintings for children that later became his instantly recognizable Toy Painting series. Inspired by 1960s wound-up and battery-free toys, which at the time were still sold in Germany, Japan, China and Russia, this series of silkscreened canvases depict some of the artist’s most beloved collection of baubles. When unveiled at Bischofberger’s gallery in 1983, the paintings transformed the space into a playful realm. The works hung at a height conducive to a toddler’s view, inviting young eyes to explore, while accompanying adults were required to stoop or sit to fully appreciate the artworks.
ANDY WARHOL’S TOY PAINTINGS EXHIBITION AT GALERIE BRUNO BISCHOFBERGER, ZURICH, 1983. ©2024 THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC. / LICENSED BY ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK
Completely fascinated by the universality of children’s toys and their deeply nostalgic qualities, Warhol remarked, ”Lots of international toys [were] included because a lot of them are the cutest of any I’ve seen” (Andy Warhol, quoted in Seth S. King, “Art: An Andy Warhol Show, For Children’s Eyes”, The New York Times, August 25, 1985, p. 70). Silkscreened onto energetic bright colors, each Toy Painting underscores Warhol’s distinct ability to render the elegant and graphical simplicity of each design.
ANDY WARHOL’S TOY PAINTINGS EXHIBITION AT GALERIE BRUNO BISCHOFBERGER, ZURICH, 1983. ©2024 THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC. / LICENSED BY ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK
In this series, Warhol elevates children’s toys, an emblem of consumerism, to the realm of high art and in doing so, exposes the artistry and power of the carefully crafted symbols themselves. In his use of recognizable graphics, Warhol transmutes cultural signifiers for his own aesthetic ends. Imbued with an inherent dynamism, the intimately scaled paintings in particular celebrate the infectious spirit of childhood curiosity and creativity.
Toy Paintings exhibition at Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich, 1983
Andy Warhol’s Toy Paintings series is an outstanding example of the artist’s preoccupation with commercialism and animation, and forms part of the artist’s later body of work that witnessed a resurgence of his energetic and colorful canvases. Serving as a more child-oriented expression of Warhol’s acclaimed advertising motifs of Brillo and Mott’s boxes from the 1960s, his Toy Paintings series embodies the same consumerist spirit. His ecstatically painted silkscreen canvases consist of popular children’s toys that are now collector’s items.
1. Fish (F&S IIIA.39)
2. Fish (F&S IIIA.41)
2025 Auction Results
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Forum Auctions: 10 December 2025
Estimated: GBP 8,000 – 12,000
GBP 9,000 (Hammer)
GBP 11,868 / USD 15,870
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish (Feldmann & Schellmann III.A.39), 1983
Srcreenprint in colors
This work was never published
With the Estate of Andy Warhol and the Andy Warhol Foundation ink stamps verso
Also with the pencil foundation number
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Lone Star Art Auction: 1 November 2025
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 9,500 (Hammer)
USD 11,400
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish (FS IIIA.39), 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Verso: estate stamp
2024 Auction Results
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Rago: 4 June 2024
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 15,120
Estate and foundation stamps with inscription to verso ‘UP 91.26’
From the unpublished edition
USD 10,000
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Estimated: USD 9,000 – 12,000
USD 9,450
ANDY WARHOL
Fish (Feldman/Schellmann IIIA.39), 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Inscribed to verso ‘89.87’ with estate and foundation stamps
From the unpublished edition
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Bonhams London: 10 December 2024
Estimated: GBP 4,000 – 6,000
GBP 5,376 / USD 6,855
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
From the unpublished edition of unknown size
Initialed ‘T.J.H.’ and annotated ‘89.42’ in pencil verso
2023 Auction Results
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Bonhams online: 14 August 2023
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 17,920
Screen-print in colors on wallpaper
With the inkstamps on the reverse of ‘The Estate of Andy Warhol’ and ‘Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts’ and initialed in pencil ‘SF’ and annotated ‘UP 91.50’
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
LA Modern: 26 April 2023
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 15,000
USD 16,380
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish, 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Estate stamp to verso
This work is from the edition of unknown size
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 15,000
USD 13,860
ANDY WARHOL (1928–1987)
Fish, 1983
Screen-print in colors on wallpaper
Estate and foundation stamps to verso with archive number ‘UP 91.33’
This work is from the unpublished edition
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Rago: 1 June 2023
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 15,000
USD 12,600
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish, 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Estate stamp to verso
This work is from the edition of unknown size
Fish (F&S IIIA.39), 1983
Sotheby’s London: 26 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 7,000 – 9,000
GBP 10,160 / USD 12,407
ANDY WARHOL (1928 – 1987)
Fish, 1983
Screen-print in colors on thin wallpaper
With the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Andy Warhol Estate inkstamps verso, annotated in pencil with the AWAAB reference number UP88.98 and initialled TJH
This impression is from the unpublished edition of unknown size
Fish (F&S IIIA.39)
Fish
Medium: Screen-print in colors on thin wallpaper
Year: 1983
Sheet: 44×30 inches (118 x 76.2 cm)
Printer: Rupert Jasen Smith, New-York
Publisher: The Artist
Literature: Feldman & Schellmann IIIA.39
Created as a backdrop for the exhibition “Paintings for children” at the Bruno Bischofberger Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland (December 1983 – January 1984)
This is an unpublished print of an unknown edition size.
Auction Results
Forum Auctions: 10 December 2025
Estimated: GBP 8,000 – 12,000
GBP 9,000 (Hammer)
GBP 11,868 / USD 15,870
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish (Feldmann & Schellmann III.A.39), 1983
Srcreenprint in colors
This work was never published
With the Estate of Andy Warhol and the Andy Warhol Foundation ink stamps verso
Also with the pencil foundation number
Lone Star Art Auction: 1 November 2025
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 9,500 (Hammer)
USD 11,400
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish (FS IIIA.39), 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Verso: estate stamp
Bonhams London: 10 December 2024
Estimated: GBP 4,000 – 6,000
GBP 5,376 / USD 6,855
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
From the unpublished edition of unknown size
Initialed ‘T.J.H.’ and annotated ‘89.42’ in pencil verso
Estimated: USD 9,000 – 12,000
USD 9,450
ANDY WARHOL
Fish (Feldman/Schellmann IIIA.39), 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Inscribed to verso ‘89.87’ with estate and foundation stamps
From the unpublished edition
Rago: 4 June 2024
Estimated: USD 10,000 – 15,000
USD 15,120
Estate and foundation stamps with inscription to verso ‘UP 91.26’
From the unpublished edition
Sotheby’s London: 26 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 7,000 – 9,000
GBP 10,160 / USD 12,407
ANDY WARHOL (1928 – 1987)
Fish, 1983
Screen-print in colors on thin wallpaper
With the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and Andy Warhol Estate inkstamps verso, annotated in pencil with the AWAAB reference number UP88.98 and initialled TJH
This impression is from the unpublished edition of unknown size
Bonhams online: 14 August 2023
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 17,920
Screen-print in colors on wallpaper
With the inkstamps on the reverse of ‘The Estate of Andy Warhol’ and ‘Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts’ and initialed in pencil ‘SF’ and annotated ‘UP 91.50’
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 15,000
USD 13,860
ANDY WARHOL (1928–1987)
Fish, 1983
Screen-print in colors on wallpaper
Estate and foundation stamps to verso with archive number ‘UP 91.33’
This work is from the unpublished edition
Rago: 1 June 2023
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 15,000
USD 12,600
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish, 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Estate stamp to verso
This work is from the edition of unknown size
LA Modern: 26 April 2023
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 15,000
USD 16,380
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish, 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Estate stamp to verso
This work is from the edition of unknown size
Sotheby’s New-York: 28 October 2022
Estimated: USD 12,000 – 18,000
USD 12,600
ANDY WARHOL (1928 – 1987)
Fish, 1983
Screenprint in colors on wallpaper
Inscribed 89.42 in pencil on the verso
With the The Estate of Andy Warhol and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts inkstamps
This impression is from the edition of unknown size
Sotheby’s London: 16 March 2022
Estimated: GBP 10,000 – 15,000
GBP 22,680 / USD 29,688
ANDY WARHOL (1928 – 1987)
Fish (F. & S. IIIA.39), 1983
Screenprint on wallpaper
From the unpublished edition of unknown size
With The Estate of Andy Warhol and The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts inkstamps verso
Annotated ‘4F’ in pencil
Fish (F&S IIIA.41)
Fish
Medium: Screenprint on Saunders Waterford (Hot Pressed) paper
Year: 1983
Sheet: 43 1/4 x 30 1/2 inches (109.8 x 77.5 cm)
Printer: Rupert Jasen Smith, New-York
Publisher: The Artist
Literature: Feldman & Schellmann IIIA.41
Created at the same time as the wallpaper as a backdrop for the exhibition “Paintings for children” at the Bruno Bischofberger Gallery, Zurich, Switzerland (December 1983 – January 1984)
This is an unpublished print of an unknown edition size.
Auction Results
Christie’s New-York: 8 March 2023
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 32,760
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Fish, 1983
Unique screenprint in colors on Saunders Waterford paper
With the inkstamps of ‘The Estate of Andy Warhol’ and ‘Authorized by the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Art’
Annotated UP23.14 in pencil on the reverse
Ketterer Kunst: 7 December 2018
Estimated: EUR 15,000 – 20,000
EUR 17,500 / USD 19,899
ANDY WARHOL
Fish (F&S IIIA.41), 1983
Unique silkscreen in colors on firm wove paper
Verso with the estate stamp and the stamp of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, New York
Hand-written number “UP 23.12”
This work must be regarded as a unique object, because of its one-of-a-kind color combination
Sotheby’s New-York: 19 April 2016
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 12,000
USD 16,250
ANDY WARHOL
Fish (F. & S. IIIA.41), 1983
Screenprint in colors on Saunders Waterford (Hot Pressed) paper
One of an unspecified number of unique color variants (there was no published edition)
With the Andy Warhol Estate stamp, the Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts stamp
Inscribed ‘UP 23.52’ in pencil on the verso