Ada Katz has been one of the defining subjects of Alex Katz’s art for nearly seven decades. Katz met Ada Del Moro in 1957, painted his first portrait of her that year and married her in 1958.
Across paintings, prints and sculptural cutouts, Katz repeatedly returned to Ada’s face, clothing, hairstyles, hats and sunglasses. For collectors, Ada prints offer a remarkable view of how one subject evolved through changes in scale, medium, color and printmaking technique over the course of Katz’s career.
Why Is Ada So Important in Alex Katz’s Art?
Ada became central to Katz’s portraiture almost immediately after they met and has remained one of his most recognizable subjects. Her image appears throughout the development of Katz’s mature visual language, from intimate early etchings to monumental screenprints and sculptural cutouts.
Early Alex Katz Ada Prints
Katz’s early Ada prints show a different side of his printmaking from the large flat-color screenprints that later became widely associated with his work.
Ada with Sunglasses, 1970 was issued in an edition of 100 plus artist’s proofs, while Ada From Below, 1972 was an etching and aquatint from an exceptionally small edition of 8 plus artist’s proofs.
Large Head of Ada, 1973 continued Katz’s exploration of enlarged and closely cropped portraiture. The approximately 40-inch-wide color etching and aquatint was issued in an edition of 44.
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Ada Four Times, 1979–80
One of Katz’s best-known Ada print projects is Ada Four Times, a group of four related portraits that present subtle changes in angle and expression.
The prints are catalogued as Schröder 118–121 and were issued in editions of 120 plus artist’s proofs. A complete set sold at Phillips for $10,320 in February 2026.
The group demonstrates one of Katz’s recurring strategies: repeating the same sitter while allowing small changes in pose and expression to alter each image.
Ada Prints of the 1980s and 1990s
Katz continued expanding his treatment of Ada through increasingly ambitious print projects.
Ada with Flowers, 1980 combines two enduring Katz subjects—Ada and flowers—in a large 36-color screenprint from an edition of 65.
The Brisk Day group of 1990 translated the same Ada composition into woodcut, aquatint and screenprint, allowing collectors to compare the visual effects of three different printmaking techniques.
That same year, Katz published Alex and Ada, the 1960s to the 1980s, an eight-screenprint portfolio revisiting portraits from several decades. One sheet, Ada with Sunglasses, sold for $16,380 at Phillips in October 2022.
Alex Katz Ada Cutouts
Ada also appears in Katz’s sculptural multiples, extending his portraiture from the flat sheet into shaped aluminum forms.
Standing Ada is one of the best-known examples and sold for $30,960 at Phillips in April 2026.
These works require different condition considerations from works on paper, including scratches, dents, surface loss and original mounting components.
Learn more: Alex Katz Print Values & Prices →
Bathing Cap (Ada), 2012
Bathing Cap (Ada), catalogued as Schröder 499, is a large 35-color screenprint measuring approximately 43 × 45 inches and issued in an edition of 76 plus 8 artist’s proofs.
Phillips sold an impression for $17,780 in February 2025, demonstrating how Katz’s later, large-scale Ada imagery can compete strongly with much earlier editions.
Later Alex Katz Ada Prints
Katz continued revisiting Ada well into his later career. Ada X 2, 2020 uses a doubled portrait in a large archival pigment print, connecting Katz’s recent work with ideas of repetition he explored decades earlier.
In 2022, Katz produced another substantial group of Ada portraits across silkscreen and woodcut. These works demonstrate how he continued changing color, scale and abstraction while returning to the same familiar sitter.
Ada (Purple), 2022, is particularly distinctive: a signed woodcut from the edition of 75 that reduces Ada’s features to spare white lines against a field of color.
Explore Alex Katz, Ada (Purple), 2022 →
Which Alex Katz Ada Prints Are Most Collectible?
Collector interest varies according to the specific image, period, scale, medium, edition, condition and completeness.
Early etchings can appeal for their scarcity and place in Katz’s development, while later large-scale screenprints and highly recognizable images may attract stronger demand. Complete projects such as Ada Four Times can also have different collector appeal from individual sheets.
The subject Ada alone does not determine value.
How Much Are Alex Katz Ada Prints Worth?
Ada prints occupy a broad price range. Recent public examples demonstrate the differences:
Recent Alex Katz Ada Print Auction Results
| Alex Katz Ada work | Edition / type | Auction | Price realized |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standing Ada | Aluminum multiple | Phillips, Apr. 2026 | $30,960 |
| Bathing Cap (Ada), 2012 | Screenprint, ed. 76 | Phillips, Feb. 2025 | $17,780 |
| Ada with Sunglasses, 1990 | Screenprint, ed. 150 | Phillips, Oct. 2022 | $16,380 |
| Ada Four Times, 1979–80 | Complete set of four | Phillips, Feb. 2026 | $10,320 |
These results illustrate why Ada is a subject category rather than a single valuation category. Scale, edition, medium, format, condition and demand can produce significantly different prices.
Learn more: Alex Katz Print Values & Prices →
Identifying an Alex Katz Ada Print
Because Katz portrayed Ada repeatedly, correct identification depends on the exact title, date, medium, dimensions, signature, edition and catalogue reference, rather than recognizing the sitter alone.
Closely related Ada works may have very different editions and specifications.
Learn more: How to Authenticate an Alex Katz Print →
Learn more: Alex Katz Signatures, Edition Numbers & Proofs →
Learn more: Alex Katz Catalogue Raisonné: Print References 1947–2023 & Online Supplement →
Buying an Alex Katz Ada Print
When choosing an Ada print, focus on the specific image and edition, considering period, medium, scale, condition and visual impact.
Explore Alex Katz Prints for Sale →
Selling or Valuing an Alex Katz Ada Print
If you own an Ada print, useful photographs include the full front and reverse, signature, edition number, publisher marks and existing documentation.
Correctly identifying the exact work is especially important before comparing prices because Katz returned to Ada so frequently.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Alex Katz Ada Prints
Who is Ada in Alex Katz’s artwork?
Ada Del Moro Katz is Alex Katz’s wife and longtime muse. They met in 1957 and married in 1958. Katz began portraying her almost immediately, and she has remained one of the defining subjects of his career.
What is Ada Four Times?
Ada Four Times, 1979–80 is a group of four related portraits of Ada, catalogued as Schröder 118–121. The prints were issued in editions of 120 plus artist’s proofs.
Are Alex Katz Ada prints valuable?
They can be. Values vary substantially according to the specific image, scale, medium, edition, condition and collector demand. Ada’s importance as a subject does not make every Ada edition equally valuable.
How can I identify which Alex Katz Ada print I have?
Begin with the title, dimensions, medium, signature and edition number, then compare those details with the Schröder catalogue raisonné or official online supplement.
