Andy Warhol’s portrait of Sitting Bull was originally intended to be included in the 1986 Cowboys and Indians suite. Although trial proofs were produced and several screenprints were pulled, Warhol ultimately removed the image from the final portfolio. Shortly thereafter, Warhol passed away, and most existing impressions of Sitting Bull were discovered within his estate. As a result, the exact number of screenprints depicting the famed Lakota leader remains unknown.

Warhol’s portrait of Sitting Bull is a striking example of the artist’s late-career engagement with history, celebrity, and American identity. By rendering the subject in vivid, often non-naturalistic colours, Warhol elevates the historical figure to the status of a modern icon. In doing so, he places Sitting Bull alongside movie stars and other figures of popular culture, while simultaneously prompting reflection on how Indigenous leaders have been mythologized and commodified within American cultural narratives.

The image balances reverence with critique, highlighting both Sitting Bull’s historical significance and the ways in which mass media can transform complex individuals into symbolic figures within cultural memory.

The impression of the Lakota leader shown at right was framed for the first time in February 2026. The condition is original and excellent.