Zayed National Museum

Marilyn Monroe's portrait expected to be most expensive 20th-century artwork

June 11, 2024

By Expat Media


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Marilyn Monroe portrait expected to sell for $200m

  Marilyn Monroe's sage blue background portrait by Andy Warhol is expected to be the most expensive 20th-century artwork when it goes under the hammer in New York in May. The portrait is tipped to sell for a whopping $200 million at auction in the spring as announced by Christie's on Monday. The silk-screen work is included in a group of Warhol portraits of Monroe that became known as the “Shot” series considering the incident of firing that happened to his Manhattan studio, known as "The Factory". The story goes that the bullet pierced four of the five canvasses, with Warhol barring Podber from The Factory and later repairing the paintings — the “Shot” series. The portrait is described as “the most significant 20th-century painting to come to auction in a generation” according to Alex Rotter, head of 20th and 21st-century art at Christie’s. “Andy Warhol’s Marilyn is the absolute pinnacle of American Pop and the promise of the American Dream encapsulating optimism, fragility, celebrity, and iconography all at once,” he said in a statement. All proceeds of the sale will benefit the foundation, which works to improve the lives of children around the world. JMS/Expat Media

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