Andy Warhol - Dracula Screen Print (FS II.264)

Original Dracula Print by Andy Warhol

Dracula 264 by Andy Warhol is one of ten screenprints featured in Warhol’s Myths portfolio from 1981. Warhol frequently established his fascination with celebrities, commercial idols, and other relevant figures in works like Marilyn Monroe and Mao. In Myths, however, the artist strays from reality and into the world of fantasy, showcasing well-known mythical figures from American history, culture, and cinema. The subjects, which are drawn from ancient folklore, childhood stories, and allegorical tales, capture the magic of America’s enchanted past and evoke a sense of nostalgia. Warhol pushes the artwork’s luster and charm even further, by inlaying nine of the ten prints with shimmering diamond dust. 

Dracula 264 is based on a still from director Tod Browning’s film, Dracula (1931), featuring one of cinema’s most notorious and iconic villains. Warhol’s interest in Dracula can be dated back to 1974, when he produced Blood for Dracula alongside director Paul Morrissey, a witty spoof on various Dracula tropes, interspersed with homoerotic sex scenes and outrageous violence. Blood for Dracula has since become a cult classic.