Title: War Bonnet Indian (FS II.373)
Medium: Screenprint on Lenox Museum Board
Year: 1986
Size: 36″ x 36″
Edition: Edition of 36. Portfolio of 4.
War Bonnet Indian (FS II.373) is a continuation of the Cowboys and Indian portfolio Andy Warhol created, which mixed recognizable portraits of famous "heroes" of the West, such as John Wayne and Annie Oakley along with less familiar Native American images and motifs. Ultimately Warhol created this portfolio with overly popular, romanticized images as an ironic commentary of America's collective mythologizing the historic West. With War Bonnet Indian 373, Warhol used a vibrant and multicolored palette to emphasize the Native American. Furthermore, by using purple and yellow as contrasting colors, Warhol is able to make a statement about the distinction between the "Cowboys" and "Indians" within the portfolio. Through pop art and the use of a simple portrait, Warhol is able to reduce an entire heritage into a single trademarked image.
