Shot Sage Blue Marilyn has set a record as breathtaking as the actress she portrays.
One of Andy Warhol's many screen-printed depictions of Marilyn Monroe has been auctioned by Christie's in New York for $195 million. The price, including fees, is the highest for a 20th-century work of art sold at auction and the highest for an American work of art, surpassing the $179.4 million mark in 2015 for The Women of Algiers (Version O) by Pablo Picasso and $110.5 million in 2017. for a 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The name of the buyer of Shot Sage Blue Marilyn has not been announced.
Warhol's works have long been among the most coveted by American art collectors, along with Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein and Mark Rothko. But Warhol's Marilyn series carries a singular cultural mystique. Beginning in 1964, Warhol produced more than a dozen portraits of the actress, all based on an image from one of Monroe's most forgettable films, 1953's Niagara.
"Once you see the image, you'll recognize that you're actually much more familiar with Warhol's vision of Marilyn than with old movie shots of Marilyn herself," said Alex Rotter, president of 20th and 21st century art at Christie's, at Morning Edition last week.
Note: - official site A Warhol 'Marilyn' brings a record auction price, $195 million
The final prize can be as impressive as Warhol's candy color palette. But Shot Sage Blue Marilyn isn't even the most expensive 20th century painting ever sold. A Willem De Kooning coin called Interchange sold for $300 million in 2015 to a hedge fund manager who also picked up a handsome Jackson Pollock for $200 million.
