Andy Warhol’s portrait of Marilyn Monroe sells for record US$195 million at auction
- The iconic painting, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, was created by pop artist Andy Warhol in 1964
- The prior record for an American artwork was US$110.5 million for an untitled Basquiat in 2017
An iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe by American pop art visionary Andy Warhol went under the hammer for US$195 million at Christie’s, becoming the most expensive 20th century artwork ever sold at public auction.
Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, produced in 1964 two years after the death of the glamorous Hollywood star, sold on Monday for exactly US$195.04 million, including fees, in just four minutes in a crowded room at Christie’s headquarters in Manhattan.
Dozens of Christie associates were in the room clutching their phones as they took orders from potential buyers. The auction house owned by French magnate Francois Pinault said in a brief press conference that the winning bid for the “Marilyn” was made from within the room.
Prior to the sale, the portrait was estimated to go for about US$200 million, according to Christie’s.
The sale broke the previous record for an American artwork at auction of US$110.5 million set in 2017 for a 1982 painting by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The all-time record for any work of art from any period sold at auction is held by Leonardo da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi, which sold in November, 2017 for US$450.3 million.
