When Andy Warhol created the "Myths" portfolio, he selected images that he felt were important American icons such as: Mickey Mouse, the Wicked Witch, Superman, and even Uncle Sam. Santa Claus was included in Warhol’s assembled line up, as inspired by the early Coca-Cola advertisements from the 1930s, the movie "Miracle on 42nd Street," and the Santa that faithfully makes an appearance at Macy's each holiday season. The likeness created in this diamond dusted screenprint immortalizes a candid portrait of the subject for precisely what it is; a personification of a fictional entity rather than a portrait of the notable personage. In this way, “Santa Claus” is the most multi-potent component of the portfolio, with eyes rendered to reveal deteriorating secrecy.
Andy Warhol (1928-1987) is widely credited as one of the most significant artists of the 20th century. After studying design at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Warhol moved to New York in 1949 to pursue a career as a commercial artist. Though successful, Warhol wanted to be an independent painter. In the early 1960s he began to create paintings based on advertising imagery. He established his own studio, The Factory, and developed his signature style, employing commercial silkscreening techniques to create identical, mass-produced images on canvas. With his multiple images of soup cans, soda bottles, dollar bills and celebrities, Warhol revealed the beauty within mass culture and redefined the art world.

Selected Public Collections:
The Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY)
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (New York, NY)
Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY)
Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA)
J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles, CA)
Tate Gallery (London, UK)
National Galleries of Scotland (Edinburgh, UK)