Andy Warhol Wild Raspberries For Sale

Andy Warhol: Wild Raspberries

Series Performance & Market Position

Wild Raspberries occupies a distinctive position within the Warhol market as the artist's earliest collaborative print project and a genuine rarity in dealer inventories. Produced in 1959, four years before the iconic soup cans and celebrity portraits that would define Pop Art, these offset lithographs with hand coloring represent Warhol during his transition from successful commercial illustrator to the most consequential artist of the twentieth century.

Auction records from Guy Hepner tracking show measured but consistent secondary market activity. Salade De Alf Landon F.S. IV 126A achieved $38,400 in February 2007, while Dorothy Killgallens Gateau Of Marzipan F.S. IV 139A realized $18,750 in April 2008. More modestly scaled works have traded between $8,000 and $12,000, with Chocolate Balls A La Chambord F.S. IV 128A selling for GBP 12,000 in October 2006 and USD 10,000 in April 2008.

These figures gain context against Warhol's broader market dominance. Shot Sage Blue Marilyn (1964) commanded $195,040,000 at Christie's in May 2022—the highest price ever achieved for a twentieth-century artwork at auction. Major screen prints continue performing exceptionally: Mao F.S. II.96 and II.97 each reached $4,648,000 at Christie's in May 2025, while Flowers examples sold for $4,076,000 and $3,832,000 at Sotheby's that same month. Within this context, Wild Raspberries offers entry into museum-quality Warhol at a fraction of later print series pricing.

Technical & Historical Context

Wild Raspberries emerged from Warhol's collaboration with interior designer Suzie Frankfurt in 1959. Frankfurt contributed the intentionally absurdist recipes—none actually functional—while Warhol created the illustrations and his mother, Julia Warhola, provided the distinctive handwritten text in her idiosyncratic script. The project was self-published in an edition of approximately 34 complete portfolios, making surviving individual sheets genuinely scarce.

Each work measures approximately 11 x 17 1/8 inches (with Calves Head Giant and Stewed Cepes at the larger 17 1/8 x 21 1/2 inches) and was produced as offset lithographs on paper with hand coloring applied by Warhol and assistants. This technique—mechanical reproduction enhanced by unique hand intervention—directly anticipates the Factory production methods Warhol would systematize in the following decade.

The portfolio's title parodies Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film Wild Strawberries, positioning the project within the sophisticated cultural milieu Warhol inhabited before achieving mainstream recognition.

Individual Works & Collector Preferences

The series comprises nineteen plates, each depicting fantastical dishes with deliberately illegible recipe text. Guy Hepner currently offers eight works from this portfolio, each demonstrating Warhol's fluid draftsmanship and camp sensibility.

Salade De Alf Landon F.S. IV 126A has historically commanded premium pricing among collectors, likely due to its political reference (Landon was the Republican presidential candidate who lost to Roosevelt in 1936) and strong compositional presence. Collectors drawn to Warhol's later political works—the Mao series, Vote McGovern—often find this piece particularly compelling.

Dorothy Killgallens Gateau Of Marzipan F.S. IV 139A references the famous gossip columnist, connecting to Warhol's lifelong fascination with celebrity and media culture. This sheet appeals to collectors building thematic holdings around Warhol's portraiture and celebrity subjects.

Chocolate Balls A La Chambord F.S. IV 128A and Hard Boiled Eggs F.S. IV 138A represent more accessible entry points, having traded in the $10,000-$12,000 range. For collectors beginning a Warhol holding or seeking works with strong decorative presence, these pieces deliver authentic early Warhol at approachable price points.

Sheep's Trotter Poulette, Stuffed Morels, Gullis Of Hazel Hen F.S. IV 142A and Waterzoie F.S. IV 131A appeal to collectors interested in Warhol's commercial illustration roots, showcasing the elegant line work that made him one of Madison Avenue's most sought-after talents throughout the 1950s.

Authentication & Condition Considerations

Wild Raspberries authentication requires specialist expertise given the works' age and the limited documentation surrounding their original production. Each sheet should be examined for paper consistency, printing characteristics, and hand-coloring application typical of the 1959 production.

Feldman and Schellmann catalogue numbers (F.S. IV) provide the standard reference framework, though these early works predate the more rigorous documentation systems established for later print series. Provenance tracing proves particularly important—sheets from dispersed original portfolios or early private collections carry stronger market confidence.

Condition sensitivity runs high with works on paper from this period. Collectors should expect and accept minor age toning consistent with sixty-five-year-old stock, while avoiding sheets with significant foxing, tears, or fading to hand-colored passages. The hand coloring itself varies between impressions; this variation represents authentic production characteristics rather than condition defects.

Guy Hepner provides comprehensive condition reporting and authentication verification on all Wild Raspberries works, drawing on our experience across 478 Warhol transactions totaling over $51 million with 292 collectors.

Investment Analysis & 2026 Acquisition Strategy

Wild Raspberries presents a fundamentally different value proposition than Warhol's iconic Pop series. Rather than competing for heavily traded Marilyns or Flowers—where seven-figure prices have become standard—collectors acquire genuinely rare pre-Pop works that remain undervalued relative to their art historical significance.

The series documents Warhol at a pivotal moment: still working within commercial illustration conventions yet already demonstrating the serial production methods, celebrity fascination, and camp sensibility that would define his mature practice. For institutional collectors and serious private holdings, these works provide scholarly depth impossible to achieve through later prints alone.

Current pricing between $10,000 and $40,000 per sheet represents compelling value against both the broader Warhol market and comparable works by emerging contemporary artists. As the market increasingly recognizes pre-Pop Warhol's importance—a trend already visible in museum exhibition programming—Wild Raspberries stands positioned for reappraisal.

We advise collectors to prioritize condition and pursue sheets with stronger auction history when available. Building a group of three to five complementary works creates collection depth while remaining at price points below single examples from major later series.

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Acquire Wild Raspberries

Guy Hepner maintains active inventory in this series with works available for immediate acquisition. Contact our New York team for current availability, detailed condition reports, and pricing on individual sheets or curated groupings.