When Warhol Meets Auction: Phillips’ October Editions & Works on Paper and the Sunday B Morning Connection
by Electric Gallery
Friday 10 October 2025
Every October, the art world turns its gaze toward New York for Phillips’ Editions & Works on Paper sale. A calendar highlight for collectors, connoisseurs, and those who simply appreciate the tactile magic of fine printmaking.
This season’s auction celebrates Print Center New York’s 25th anniversary, presenting a curated selection of works to benefit the nonprofit’s mission of championing printmaking as a medium of invention, collaboration, and access. It’s a reminder that printmaking, from silkscreens to lithographs, remains one of the most democratic and dynamic forms of contemporary art.
Among the most compelling highlights of this auction are the Andy Warhol editions. Vibrant, iconic, and endlessly relevant. From Marilyn and Mick Jagger to Campbell’s Soup Can and Moonwalk, these works chart a career that changed how we see celebrity, repetition, and image-making itself.
Warhol at Auction: Icons Revisited
The Phillips catalogue this October reads like a masterclass in Warhol’s visual language. Rare trial proofs of Moonwalk sit alongside classic screenprints of Marilyn Monroe and Liz Taylor, each iteration shifting subtly in colour and tone. A reflection of Warhol’s obsession with variation and mass production.
Pieces such as Skulls and Lenin showcase the more introspective side of his work, while Mick Jagger and Volkswagen (from Ads) remind us of his enduring fascination with fame and consumer culture. Together, they illustrate how Warhol’s editions transcend their commercial origins to become cultural time capsules. Sharp, glamorous, and forever modern.
For collectors, these auctions represent more than just market movement; they offer insight into the technical and conceptual evolution of post-war printmaking. Each pull of ink, each registered layer, is both a repetition and an original. A paradox that lies at the heart of Warhol’s genius.
Spotlight: The Warhol Lots to Watch
Here are some of the most compelling Warhol editions you’ll find in Phillips’ lineup. (Estimates and lot numbers drawn from the Phillips catalogue.)
| Lot # | Title/Series | Estimate* | What Makes It Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| 131 & 132 | Sunset (2 versions) | $100,000 – $150,000 | These editions often evoke Warhol’s interest in color fields and abstraction late in his printmaking career. |
| 133 & 134 | Moonwalk | $300,000 – $500,000 | Unique trial proofs are being highlighted. Moonwalk started as part of a planned TV-series-themed print set, but the rest never materialised. |
| 135 | Skulls | $80,000 – $120,000 | The Skulls series figures prominently in Warhol’s memento mori explorations. |
| 136 | Campbell’s Soup Can (Tomato) | $50,000 – $70,000 | A nod to his earliest Pop iconography; part of his repeated revisitations of commercial icons. |
| 137 & 138 | Mick Jagger | $50,000 – $90,000 | The rock star prints always attract attention, the iteration and colour variation matter. |
| 140 | Liz | $50,000 – $70,000 | Portrait of Liz Taylor, one of his celebrity screenprint series. |
| 141 | Marilyn | $120,000 – $180,000 | The quintessential Warhol. High visibility, high competition. |
| 142 | Holiday Shoe | $30,000 – $50,000 | A more playful, commercial subject from his later years. |
| 144 | Lenin | $50,000 – $70,000 | Warhol’s political and cultural references show up in surprising ways. |
| 150 | Volkswagen (from Ads) | $25,000 – $35,000 | A bridge between his commercial/advertising engagement and artistic practice. |
| 152 | Portraits of the Artists (Ten from Leo Castelli) | $18,000 – $25,000 | A conceptual print series, focusing less on iconic imagery and more on artist identity. |
| 153 | Geronimo, from Cowboys & Indians | $30,000 – $50,000 | A less commonly market-seen piece, carries both narrative and novelty. |
| 155 | Vik Muniz, Flowers, after Warhol (3) | $15,000 – $25,000 | Interesting twist: a contemporary artist (Muniz) referencing Warhol. |
| 204 | Two Girls Laughing | $2,000 – $4,000 | A donated work to support Print Center New York. A lower-entry point while linking to the cause. |
*Estimates are as per the Phillips listing; hammer price + premiums will revise final sale prices.
A Shared Legacy: Sunday B Morning
That same spirit of experimentation and accessibility lives on in the Sunday B Morning editions available through Electric Gallery.
Published from original Warhol screens with his approval, these prints embody the democratic ethos that defined his work. Art for everyone, not just for the auction room. They are beautifully produced, hand-screened on museum-grade paper, and stay true to the vibrancy and precision of Warhol’s original vision.
Owning a Sunday B Morning print is, in many ways, an echo of the very narrative unfolding at Phillips. The auction showcases scarcity; Sunday B Morning celebrates continuity. Allowing collectors to live with the imagery that shaped modern culture.
It’s an invitation to bring a piece of Pop Art history into your own home. A conversation between the high drama of the auction floor and the quiet appreciation of art lived with daily.
Collecting with Purpose
Phillips’ partnership with Print Center New York adds another dimension. Collecting with conscience. The benefit component of the sale ensures that proceeds support ongoing programs in education, exhibitions, and artist development.
It aligns perfectly with the broader narrative around printmaking: that great art can be both aspirational and accessible, refined and inclusive.
At Electric Gallery, we share that belief. Our Sunday B Morning editions are framed to museum standard and available in multiple sizes, inviting collectors at every stage to experience the enduring allure of Warhol’s imagery whether you’re drawn to the playfulness of Marilyn, the elegance of Queen Elizabeth II, or the electric colour of Flowers.
Explore the Legacy
As the gavel falls at Phillips this October, it’s a moment to reflect on how Warhol’s work continues to bridge worlds between commerce and creativity, rarity and accessibility.
You can explore our curated collection of Andy Warhol Sunday B Morning editions here and discover the colour, wit, and bold simplicity that continue to define Pop Art today.
