Leon Golub

Why Me?

1999

A colorful artwork featuring a large, sketched figure of a lion in red tones with a human face below it, both set against a white background. The lion is depicted in a standing pose, facing forward, while the human face appears contorted with exaggerated features. The phrase "Why me?" is written in a whimsical script above the lion, creating a sense of questioning or contemplation.
A colorful artwork featuring a large, sketched figure of a lion in red tones with a human face below it, both set against a white background. The lion is depicted in a standing pose, facing forward, while the human face appears contorted with exaggerated features. The phrase "Why me?" is written in a whimsical script above the lion, creating a sense of questioning or contemplation.

Not on view

Date
1999

Classification
Prints

Medium
Screenprint

Dimensions
Sheet: 30 1/16 × 22 in. (76.4 × 55.9 cm) Image: 30 1/16 × 22 in. (76.4 × 55.9 cm)

Accession number
2012.146.3

Edition
1/50

Credit line
Purchase, with funds from the Director's Discretionary Fund

Rights and reproductions
© Estate of Leon Golub / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

API
artworks/41978

Part of a series:
Exit 99: Exit Art Portfolio 1999
9 works

A vibrant abstract artwork featuring a central cluster of yellow dots that transition to orange towards the edges, set against a deep blue background with a pattern that suggests undulating text or symbols.
A stylized artwork featuring an orange-brown line drawing of a person in a diving pose against a bright turquoise background. The figure appears to be dissolving or transforming into smaller versions of itself, which are scattered below the main image. The artwork has a signature and edition number at the bottom.
A collage featuring a large, ornate number one on a background with repeated illustrations of a historical figure, with a central framed photograph of a woman in a red uniform standing in a library or bookstore, holding a sign that reads "BADASAWORLD."
A monochromatic artwork depicting a stylized female figure with a hat, surrounded by oversized flowers, with a whimsical, dreamlike quality. The image has a dark background that fades into lighter shades where the figure and flowers are more illuminated. There's a signature and edition number at the bottom.
A detailed artwork resembling a camouflage pattern with various shades of brown, tan, and green, overlaid with a network of white lines that branch out like a tree or a map. Each branch is labeled with different words such as "grandpa," "women," "dogs," "sponges," and "trucks," suggesting a thematic or conceptual connection between the elements. The background pattern includes oak leaves and the overall composition is reminiscent of a family tree or a complex categorization diagram.
A person wearing an oversized alien mask with large black eyes is standing behind a stack of bottled water at a store. Above them is a menu board listing drink prices, and to the right, a security camera is mounted on the wall. The image has a candid, snapshot quality and includes the artist's signature and edition number at the bottom.
A colorful artwork featuring a large, sketched figure of a lion in red tones with a human face below it, both set against a white background. The lion is depicted in a standing pose, facing forward, while the human face appears contorted with exaggerated features. The phrase "Why me?" is written in a whimsical script above the lion, creating a sense of questioning or contemplation.

Leon Golub
6 works in the collection, 10 exhibitions

View artist

On the Hour

A 30-second online art project:
Frank WANG Yefeng, The Levitating Perils #2

Learn more about this project

Learn more at whitney.org/artport

On the Hour projects can contain motion and sound. To respect your accessibility settings autoplay is disabled.