Mammy
from Myths
Medium: Screenprint in colors on Lenox Museum Board with diamond dust
Year: 1981
Sheet: 38×38 inches (96.5 x 96.5 cm)
Edition: 200
Artist’s Proofs: 30 AP
Printer’s Proofs: 5 PP
Exhibitor’s Proofs: 5 EP
Hors Commerce: 4 HC
Trial Proofs: 30 TP in unique color combination, most with diamond dust
(see Feldman & Schellmann IIB.262)
Publisher: Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, New York
Printer: Rupert Jasen Smith, New-York
Literature: Feldman & Schellmann II.262
Each signed in pencil, and numbered with the artist’s copyright inkstamps on the reverse
Mammy is part of Myths
(Click on picture below to access the Catalogue Entry)
The role of the African American woman as a “mammy” stereotype was popular in the early 20th century. This de-sexualization of the black woman as overweight and matronly, a caretaker for upper class white families while having little care for her own, reconfigured the image of black women in a way most comforting to white America. By Andy Warhol’s inclusion of this unflattering view of women of color as a “Myth,” he confronts racism head on, as he had done for much of his career (one of his earliest works being “Birmingham Race Riot,” completed in 1964). His 1975 “Ladies and Gentlemen” series contains many drag queens of color in fashionable poses, and he has also touched on Western standards of beauty in his multiple screen prints of Botticelli’s Venus. His only depiction of a real person of color was Queen Ntombi Twala from the “Reigning Queens” series of 1985. Twala is the only non-European royalty featured in this series.
Auction Market Overview
Mammy sold 5 times at auction in 2024 at an average price of USD 32,092. It sold for its highest price of 2024, at Lempertz Cologne on 4 June 2024 for EUR 37,800 (USD 41,202).
Mammy sold 5 times at auction in 2023 at an average price of USD 31,702. It sold for its highest price of 2023, at Christie’s in New-York on 27 October 2023 for USD 35,280.
Regular Editions
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 22,000 (Hammer)
USD 27,500
Screenprint in colors with diamond dust titled “Mammy” (F&S II.262), 1981
From the “Myths” portfolio
Pencil signed and numbered 88/200 along the lower right.
With the artist’s copyright ink stamp on the verso
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 35,560
Signed and numbered to lower right ’12/200 Andy Warhol’ with publisher’s blindstamp
Christie’s New-York: 16 April 2025
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 35,280
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Mammy, from Myths (Feldman & Schellmann II.262), 1981
Screenprint in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed in pencil, numbered 12⁄200
Sotheby’s New-York: 15 April 2025
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 35,560
ANDY WARHOL (1928 – 1987)
Mammy, from Myths (Feldman & Schellmann II.262), 1981
Screenprint in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed in pencil, inscribed to Michael and Deborah and numbered 126/200
Christie’s online: 14 February 2025
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 20,000
USD 30,240
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Mammy, from Myths (Feldman and Schellmann II.262), 1981
Screenprint in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed in pencil, numbered 135/200 (there were also 30 artist’s proofs)
Estimated: JPY 3,500,000 – 4,500,000
JPY 4,140,000 / USD 26,925
Screenprint, diamond dust
Signed from the edition of 200, with a copyright stamp on verso
Phillips London: 19 September 2024
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 30,480 / USD 39,594
ANDY WARHOL
Mammy, from Myths (F. & S. 262), 1981
Screenprint in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Sheet: 96.3 x 96.5 cm (37 7/8 x 37 7/8 inches)
Signed and numbered 145/200 in pencil (there were also 30 artist’s proofs)
Lempertz Cologne: 4 June 2024
Estimated: EUR 35,000 – 45,000
EUR 37,800 / USD 41,202
ANDY WARHOL
Mammy, from the 10-part series: Myths, 1981
Color screenprint with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed and numbered
Proof 36/200 (+30 A.P. +5 P.P. +5 E.P. +4 H.C. +30 T.P.)
Condition: Minor traces of age
Abell: 9 March 2024
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 22,500
ANDY WARHOL (American, 1928-1987)
Mammy (From Myths Series) (F.&S. II262), 1981
Screenprint in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed and numbered 27/200 in pencil lower right
LA Modern: 10 January 2024
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 40,000
USD 30,240
ANDY WARHOL (1928–1987)
Mammy (from the Myths series), 1981
Screenprint in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed and numbered to lower right ‘93/200 Andy Warhol’
Christie’s New-York: 28 October 2023
Estimated: USD 20,000 – 30,000
USD 35,280
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Mammy, from Myths, 1981
Screenprint in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed in pencil, numbered 116⁄200
Heritage Auctions: 24 October 2023
Estimated: 20,000 – 30,000
USD 27,500
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Mammy, from: Myths, 1981
Screen-print in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed in pencil and numbered 93/200 lower right
Phillips London: 7 June 2023
Estimated: GBP 20,000 – 30,000
GBP 25,400 / USD 31,620
(there were also 30 artist’s proofs)
Phillips New-York: 20 April 2023
Estimated: USD 25,000 – 35,000
USD 30,480
ANDY WARHOL
Mammy, from Myths (F. & S. 262), 1981
Screen-print in colors on Lenox Museum Board
Signed and numbered 35/200 in pencil
Kunsthaus Lempertz: 2 December 2022
Estimated: EUR 35,000 – 45,000
EUR 69,300 / USD 72,916
AUCTION RECORD FOR MAMMY
ANDY WARHOL
Mammy, from Myths (F. & S. 262), 1981
Color screen-print with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed and numbered 111/200 in pencil
Trial Proofs
Christie’s London: 27 September 2023
Estimated: GBP 25,000 – 35,000
GBP 27,720 / USD 33,670
ANDY WARHOL (1928-1987)
Mammy, from: Myths, 1981
Unique screen-print in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed in pencil, numbered TP 24/30
A trial proof aside from the numbered edition of two hundred
Kunsthaus Lempertz: 2 December 2022
Estimated: EUR 60,000 – 80,000
EUR 113,400 / USD 119,318
ANDY WARHOL
Mammy, from Myths (F. & S. 262), 1981
Unique color screen-print with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed and numbered TP 5/30 in pencil
Christie’s Los Angeles: 13 December 1999
Estimated: USD 4,000 – 5,000
USD 4,600
ANDY WARHOL
Mammy, for Myths (F. and S. B.262), 1981
Unique screenprint in colors with diamond dust on Lenox Museum Board
Signed in pencil, numbered ‘T.P. 19/30’
One of 30 unique color variants aside from the edition of 200 plus 30 artist’s proofs