In 1981, as Andy Warhol dove into his third decade as one of the 20th centurys most celebrated artists, he created a special portfolio of screenprints he titled Myths. In a return to his roots as perhaps the greatest of all pop artists, he pulled together nine of the figures (plus a self-portrait) that epitomize a century of Americas psyche as embodied in its culture of entertainment: Mickey Mouse, Superman, Howdy Doody, Santa Claus and more. Under Warhols undeniable intuition, these characters are gathered in a conversation that illuminates the foundations of Warhols appreciation of what is, in a sense, a true American canon, and our countrys ideation of itself. Each panel is rich with color, light, and meaning, as each character carries a historical weight that transforms them into legend. These are our great American myths. The edition run was tight, and since its creation, finding a complete portfolio has been exceptionally difficult, since each screenprint is a complete work of art in itself and embodies Warhol at the top of his game. In 1986, a complete and pristine portfolio was gifted to a hospital on the occasion of its moving to a new headquarters; the Norton Childrens Hospital in Louisville, Ky., became the proud steward of this highlight of Warhols career. Now this complete portfolio travels from Norton Childrens Hospital to Heritage, where it will lead its Prints and Multiples Signature Auction on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and join other offerings of Pop Art and Post-War art significance. Sale proceeds of Myths will benefit the hospitals neonatal intensive care unit, one of the preeminent neonatal treatment centers in the United States. The 10 portraits of Myths speak to each other with a fresh criticality rarely encountered in Warhols work since the early 1970s. In the early 1980s, Warhol began the process of reassessing his life, career, and cultural environment. He watched as the 1970s recession gave way to the national economic boom of the 80s. Warhols love affair with his familiar Post-War America was due for reflection, and the artist chose to revisit the figures and subjects that had inspired him and played prominent roles in the evolution of the eras Pop Art sensibility. In Myths youll see some of the great characters that warm your heart as you think about your childhood and about the greatest moments of art and entertainment, says Lynnie Meyer, senior vice president and chief development officer of Norton Childrens Hospital. The dollars from this sale will directly benefit our neonatal intensive care unit and will give the smallest infants the greatest chance at a healthy life. At Norton Childrens Hospital, the portfolio has been displayed via a dignified installation in the hospitals Scheen Family Conference Center. It made sense that these iconic characters, so familiar to generations of children, their parents and grandparents, could communicate something that endures well past Warhols lifetime. The artist would have adored having these Myths established as something comforting, a kind of greatest hits, in that he himself was comforted by this vision of our history. We had an opportunity to meet Heritage and to learn about their work, and were so intrigued by the opportunity to make a difference with this art and to bring those dollars back to support an incredible mission, to improve access to care, and to help open the doors to our center to children from all over the region, stated Meyer. Its bittersweet to lose such a beautiful collection, but we are into the art and science of healing and caring, and the sale of this collection will have so much impact on our ability to do that work. For more information, visit www.HA.com/8139.