Jimmy Carter III 152 by Andy Warhol is part of the portfolio Inaugural Impressions, created to commemorate Jimmy Carter’s inauguration. Among the five artists who contributed to the portfolio were Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Andrew Wyeth, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jacob Lawrence. However, Warhol’s version depicted Jimmy Carter as the unknown peanut farmer from Georgia he used to be, rather than Carter as a statesman. Although this specific print lacks the colors Warhol usually added to his portraits, it held just as much value and significance. The proceeds from the sale of Inaugural Impressions were used to keep Washington’s museums open during the inauguration.

Warhol’s Jimmy Carter III was printed by Rupert Jasen Smith in New York and published by the Democratic National Committee in Washington, DC.

Jimmy Carter III 152 by Andy Warhol as Part of His Larger Body of Work
Warhol’s prints of Jimmy Carter serve to show his interest in the blurring boundaries between the political grounds and the inner circles of celebrities. He found many similarities between the two. As a result, Warhol attempted to introduce the feel of stardom and publicity to the portraits of Jimmy Carter. Warhol saw political campaigning comparable to the public advertisements of the celebrity culture. Warhol was deeply fascinated by political figures, regardless of how they were viewed by the public. In addition to his Jimmy Carter prints, Warhol produced images of leaders such as JFK, Mao and Alexander the Great.