Andy Warhol - Dollar Signs

Whether you love his work or despise it, you cannot have a serious contemporary art collection without owning an Andy Warhol painting. The problem is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to buy one for under $50,000. One overlooked option is the artist's paintings of the "universal symbol for money" -- the "Dollar Signs" series. These works owe their origin to Warhol's "Dollar Bill" paintings from 1962. The "Dollar Bills" came about when Warhol claimed to have run out of ideas and decided to ask a friend what he should paint next. His friend said she knew just what he should do, but it would cost him $50 for the idea. As soon as the ink was dry on the check, she held up her end of the bargain by asking Warhol, "What is it that you love more than anything else? -- Money!" Almost 20 years later, in 1981, Warhol returned to the idea with a variation on the theme of money. He began screening dollar signs on canvases in three sizes: 10 by 8 in., 20 by 16 in., and 90 by 70 in. A small Dollar Sign now sells for approximately $25,000. The auction record was achieved in 1990, when one brought $46,750. Each Dollar Sign sports a unique combination of punchy colors. The more intense the color, the more valuable the painting.
"Dollar Sign" paintings are important because they personify the Warhol philosophy: "The best art is good business."