Andy Warhol’s Mother and Child is one of the most emotionally resonant images from his celebrated Cowboys and Indians series, created in 1986 as one of the artist’s final major bodies of work. Rather than focusing solely on the Hollywood-mythologised American West, Warhol turned toward Indigenous subjects with a surprising degree of sensitivity, elevating historical imagery into icons of contemporary Pop.

This screen print depicts a Native American mother holding her child, their forms rendered in Warhol’s signature palette of saturated oranges, emerald greens, and warm reds. The composition blends tenderness with strength: the mother’s steady gaze and protective embrace contrast with the child’s peaceful rest, creating a universal symbol of care, resilience, and cultural continuity.

Warhol’s use of halftone patterning and layered color blocks modernises the archival source image, transforming it into a powerful Pop reinterpretation rather than a literal depiction. The work embodies the duality present throughout the Cowboys and Indians series—both a critique of romanticised Western lore and a tribute to the communities whose histories were often overshadowed by myth.

As a Trial Proof, this impression is especially rare. These proofs were created as the artist refined color combinations and registration, resulting in unique variations that collectors prize for their immediacy and closeness to Warhol’s hand.

Mother and Child stands today as one of the most poignant and humanised images within Warhol’s late oeuvre—an artwork that bridges historical representation, Pop iconography, and emotional depth.