Andy Warhol Teddy Roosevelt FS II.386 For Sale

Andy Warhol’s Teddy Roosevelt screenprint is from his 1986 portfolio, Cowboys and Indians. The series bought together 10 different “Old American West” figures and objects, raising questions about the cultural mythologisation of the Frontier days. The print depicts the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. Recognised for his vibrant disposition and ‘cowboy’ attitude, Roosevelt was considered a "hero" by the American people. Consequently, Warhol emphasises Roosevelt's status as the archetypal American hero by using an 1898 photo of the president dressed as a Rough Rider.

Roosevelt is not the main focus of the picture; rather, it is his attire.  His clothes are indigo and sky blue with etchings in red and yellow. His lips, nose, moustache, and round glasses are all faintly drawn in a subdued pink and crimson that contrasts sharply with his complexion. Warhol incorporates certain features from the source photo, like the two crossing keys that reveal his identity as a Rough Rider and the embroidered letters of the United States Volunteers (U.S.V.). To transform this iconic photograph of the American hero into a work of Pop Art, Warhol paints Roosevelt's face in shades of black, grey, and red. Warhol retains the colour flaws and loose lines that give the print its dynamic character by using his renowned screen print technique. Like previous prints in the series, this one of Roosevelt is set on a stark white background, which eliminates the image's historical context and places it in the setting of the 1980s popular culture that Warhol was trying to critique.

Despite Roosevelt’s face being a dark blue, almost as if he is cast in a shadow, his profile is so culturally recognisable it is undoubtable who Warhol is depicting. There is an equal and tense disparity between the five ‘heroes’ and the five Native American prints—some of which feature the most influential Indigenous figures, such as Sitting Bull and Geronimo—because Roosevelt and the other American "heroes" in Cowboys and Indians were historically hostile to Native Americans. Teddy Roosevelt was romanticised by pop culture, but Warhol presents a clever paradox about our favourite American heroes and how the media distorts reality by contrasting historical forces and applying colour theory. For example, as this print is the darkest of all of them, perhaps Warhol is making the portrait physically and metaphorically darker than the ones depicting Native American figureheads.

Incorporating idealised depictions of Native Americans with pictures of notable individuals such as Roosevelt, Warhol challenges the audience with issues like exploitation, conflict, authority, and possession. The Cowboys and Indians series' characters are rendered in a flattened style with distinctive combinations of vivid hues, giving the impression that they are made-up figures from the imagined "Wild West," a notion that is supported by the popular culture's fame mechanism.

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With a global network of active buyers, Andipa Editions are the place to sell your Andy Warhol Teddy Roosevelt (F & S II.386)) print. Straight-forward and stress-free, we manage the process on your behalf and help to maximise your return. For a complimentary valuation of your Teddy Roosevelt (F & S II.386) print, contact us via sales@andipa.com or on +44 (0) 20 7589 2371. Explore our collection of Andy Warhol original prints for sale.