Pentagon with Virtues

A unique drawing by Andy Warhol

Research into Andy Warhol's Pentagon with Virtues yields inconclusive results; the piece is indeed unique. Much has been written in recent years about Warhol's Catholic upbringing and his devotion to the church. This dedication inspired several works throughout the artist's life, as early as 1950s drawings of angels and as late as his 1980s depiction of the Last Supper. It could be suggested that the virtues delineated in this drawing stem from the same inspiration.  His misspelling of the word "strength" could have been intentional or a mistake. According to Molly Donovan of the National Gallery of Art, “[w]hile many reasons have been offered for Warhol’s numerous misspelled words – from intentionality, to dyslexia, to the broken English spoken by his immigrant parents – a definitive explanation is difficult to provide.”  Several of Warhol’s friends and collaborators noted Warhol’s acknowledgment that mistakes were evidence of humanity’s imperfect, real essence, and that he was at times so “delighted” by these happy mistakes as to keep them in his works. (Bockris, a: A Glossary.)