Andy Warhol Wayne Gretzky #99 (F & S II.306) For Sale

Wayne Gretzky is a screenprint published by Warhol in 1984 of Canada’s most famous hockey player. Warhol had produced a series, Athletes, in 1977, of sportsmen and this example stands out as a stand-alone portrait independent of a series. Gretzky was regarded akin to Canadian royalty, and Warhol said of him: ‘he’s more than a hockey player, he’s an entertainer.’  

Wayne Gretzky’s portrait and bust appears on the upper left of the print. Below, superimposed on the paper is the outline of his hand holding onto his hockey stick, the number ‘95’ visible on his shirt. Warhol has chosen the athlete’s home colours – blue, orange and white, fittingly for the portrait.  

The portrait came about thanks to Vancouver-based art dealer Frans Wynans and Gretzky himself. The sports star was a fan of the artist and had purchased a few of his paintings. He said ‘I’m by no means saying that I know a whole lot about art. I buy things I enjoy and I enjoy his stuff and to be painted by him is terrific’.