Why is Marilyn Monroe important?

Throughout his career, Warhol made nearly 800 printed images on paper in addition to hundreds of trial proofs and unique variants of each of his portfolios. His work contributed significantly to what has been described as the ‘print boom’ of the 1960s, and Warhol later went on to set up his print publishing company Factory Additions, which continued to issue portfolios of his most recognisable themes.

Why did Andy Warhol paint Marilyn Monroe?

Andy Warhol was fascinated by celebrity culture & its influence on contemporary society. Famous women, particularly actresses & it-girls such as Ingrid Bergman, Liz Taylor, Edie Sedgwick & of course Marilyn Monroe, held a special allure for Warhol.

How do I buy a Marilyn print?

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How can I sell my Marilyn print?

If you're looking to sell art by Andy Warhol, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.

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Art for sale

andy warhol

Marilyn Monroe

Marilyn
Monroe

Begun in 1962, Andy Warhol’s universally recognizable Marilyn screen-prints immortalize the Hollywood star in her prime. Creating the paintings and subsequent prints of Marilyn Monroe in response to her tragic death, Warhol displays his lifelong obsession with the iconoclastic glamour and seedy intrigue of pop culture.

Andy Warhol prints for sale

Marilyn (F. & S. II.25) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£70,000-£110,000 VALUE (EST.)

$130,000-$200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$120,000-$180,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥590,000-¥930,000 VALUE (EST.)

€80,000-€120,000 VALUE (EST.)

$670,000-$1,060,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥11,360,000-¥17,850,000 VALUE (EST.)

$90,000-$130,000 VALUE (EST.)

5% AAGR

TradingFloor

5 want this

Marilyn (F. & S. II.24) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£150,000-£230,000 VALUE (EST.)

$270,000-$420,000 VALUE (EST.)

$250,000-$380,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥1,250,000-¥1,920,000 VALUE (EST.)

€170,000-€260,000 VALUE (EST.)

$1,430,000-$2,190,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥24,050,000-¥36,870,000 VALUE (EST.)

$180,000-$280,000 VALUE (EST.)

7% AAGR

TradingFloor

4 in network

3 want this

Marilyn (F. & S. II.31) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£200,000-£250,000 VALUE (EST.)

$360,000-$460,000 VALUE (EST.)

$330,000-$420,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥1,660,000-¥2,080,000 VALUE (EST.)

€230,000-€290,000 VALUE (EST.)

$1,890,000-$2,360,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥31,960,000-¥39,960,000 VALUE (EST.)

$240,000-$300,000 VALUE (EST.)

3% AAGR

TradingFloor

6 in network

28 want this

Marilyn (F. & S. II.26) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£60,000-£90,000 VALUE (EST.)

$110,000-$160,000 VALUE (EST.)

$100,000-$150,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥500,000-¥760,000 VALUE (EST.)

€70,000-€100,000 VALUE (EST.)

$580,000-$860,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥9,740,000-¥14,600,000 VALUE (EST.)

$70,000-$110,000 VALUE (EST.)

6% AAGR

TradingFloor

1 in network

4 want this

Marilyn (F. & S. II.23) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£150,000-£210,000 VALUE (EST.)

$270,000-$380,000 VALUE (EST.)

$250,000-$350,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥1,260,000-¥1,770,000 VALUE (EST.)

€170,000-€240,000 VALUE (EST.)

$1,440,000-$2,020,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥24,340,000-¥34,070,000 VALUE (EST.)

$180,000-$260,000 VALUE (EST.)

10% AAGR

TradingFloor

5 in network

7 want this

Marilyn (F. & S. II.22) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£150,000-£220,000 VALUE (EST.)

$270,000-$400,000 VALUE (EST.)

$250,000-$370,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥1,260,000-¥1,850,000 VALUE (EST.)

€170,000-€250,000 VALUE (EST.)

$1,440,000-$2,110,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥24,340,000-¥35,700,000 VALUE (EST.)

$180,000-$270,000 VALUE (EST.)

36% AAGR

TradingFloor

1 in network

1 want this

Marilyn (F. & S. II.28) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£110,000-£160,000 VALUE (EST.)

$200,000-$290,000 VALUE (EST.)

$180,000-$270,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥930,000-¥1,350,000 VALUE (EST.)

€120,000-€180,000 VALUE (EST.)

$1,060,000-$1,540,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥17,850,000-¥25,960,000 VALUE (EST.)

$130,000-$200,000 VALUE (EST.)

48% AAGR

TradingFloor

1 want this

Marilyn (F. & S. II.21) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£30,000-£45,000 VALUE (EST.)

$50,000-$80,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥250,000-¥380,000 VALUE (EST.)

€35,000-€50,000 VALUE (EST.)

$290,000-$430,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥4,870,000-¥7,300,000 VALUE (EST.)

$35,000-$60,000 VALUE (EST.)

12% AAGR

TradingFloor

6 in network

5 want this

Marilyn (F. & S. II.30) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£60,000-£90,000 VALUE (EST.)

$110,000-$160,000 VALUE (EST.)

$100,000-$150,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥500,000-¥760,000 VALUE (EST.)

€70,000-€100,000 VALUE (EST.)

$580,000-$860,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥9,740,000-¥14,600,000 VALUE (EST.)

$70,000-$110,000 VALUE (EST.)

1% AAGR

TradingFloor

3 in network

Marilyn (F. & S. II.27) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£70,000-£110,000 VALUE (EST.)

$130,000-$200,000 VALUE (EST.)

$120,000-$180,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥590,000-¥930,000 VALUE (EST.)

€80,000-€120,000 VALUE (EST.)

$670,000-$1,060,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥11,360,000-¥17,850,000 VALUE (EST.)

$90,000-$130,000 VALUE (EST.)

10% AAGR

TradingFloor

5 in network

Marilyn (F. & S. II.29) Signed Print

Andy Warhol

£100,000-£140,000 VALUE (EST.)

$180,000-$260,000 VALUE (EST.)

$170,000-$230,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥840,000-¥1,180,000 VALUE (EST.)

€110,000-€160,000 VALUE (EST.)

$960,000-$1,340,000 VALUE (EST.)

¥16,230,000-¥22,720,000 VALUE (EST.)

$120,000-$170,000 VALUE (EST.)

20% AAGR

TradingFloor

2 in network

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Meaning & Analysis

The pinnacle, the definitive work of Pop Art, Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe is immediately recognisable in all its bright, glamorous glory. It is a vibrant and glamorous portrayal of the actress Marilyn Monroe that has become symbolic of 20th century popular culture. The series exemplifies Warhol’s pioneering printmaking technique, a medium that the artist found best suited his mission to reflect the icons and products of mass culture at the time.

Warhol was a highly experimental printmaker and the screen print technique allowed him to explore the range of graphic possibilities in a single image, manipulating colour and creating contrasting effects with each repetition. This act of printing and painting in multiple variations demonstrates Warhol’s playfulness with typical art processes that would lead him to a new phase of commercial painting.

“I wanted something stronger that gave more of an assembly line effect. With silk screening you pick a photograph, blow it up, transfer it in glue onto silk, and then roll ink across it so the ink goes through the silk but not through the glue. That way you get the same image, slightly different each time. It was all so simple quick and chancy. I was thrilled with it. When Marilyn Monroe happened to die that month, I got the idea to make screens of her beautiful face the first Marilyns.” — Andy Warhol.

Warhol first depicted Monroe shortly after her death in 1962 in the Marilyn Diptych, a series of screen print paintings based on a 20th Century Fox still taken by Gene Kornman from the 1953 film Niagara.

Warhol’s fascination with Monroe’s image continued in the years following and in 1967 the artist created a portfolio of 10 screen prints based on the same photograph as his iconic 1962 portrait. This body of work would later become the largest screen print series of Warhol’s career, establishing him in both critical and popular acclaim. As demonstrated by Marilyn Monroe 23 and Marilyn Monroe 27, each print is vibrantly coloured, a style that would be distinctive of Warhol’s subsequent Pop paintings. This radical graphic approach and broad spectrum of colours evokes Monroe’s vivacious yet complex identity, exploring visual representation in American popular culture. Each portrait illustrates a veneer of glamour and celebrity that seems impenetrable, whilst also hinting toward the darker realities of fame in contemporary society.

Throughout his career, Warhol made nearly 800 printed images on paper in addition to hundreds of trial proofs and unique variants of each of his portfolios. His work contributed significantly to what has been described as the ‘print boom’ of the 1960s, and Warhol later went on to set up his print publishing company Factory Additions, which continued to issue portfolios of his most recognisable themes.
The Marilyn series is a quintessential example of Warhol’s obsession with celebrity culture and repetition. His distinctive technique in screen printing, combined with the artist’s energy and willingness to self-publicise, allowed Warhol to play a significant role in redirecting the course of art history. The prevalence and proliferation of Warhol’s Marilyn revived the actress’s reputation in popular culture, whilst helping to secure Warhol as a celebrity within the commercial world he sought to portray.
Andy Warhol was fascinated by celebrity culture & its influence on contemporary society. Famous women, particularly actresses & it-girls such as Ingrid Bergman, Liz Taylor, Edie Sedgwick & of course Marilyn Monroe, held a special allure for Warhol.
Of all the stars in America at the time, Marilyn Monroe was arguably the most famous & recognisable. This recognition made Monroe the perfect subject as she reflected the elevation of certain indidviduals in society as products or symbols, represenative of the consumer culture that dominated American society post-World War 2.
Warhol therefore chose to portray the biggest & brightest stars of the time, highlighting their beauty & otherworldly qualities; by extension continuing the mythos that the mass media had created that surrounded these iconic figures.
Warhol painted Marilyn two weeks after her death, the repetition of her image a nod to mass production & the profileration of her image throughout the media. The dehumanising aspect of celebrity culture was a focal point for Warhol, highlighting this was perhaps an attempt to make the viewer consider the person behind the image. The repetition of image also lends itself to religious iconography, with saints & matyrs often being painted at scale & with intense frequency - perhaps a comment on Hollywood stars now being worshipped more frequently than traditional religious icons.
In Marilyn Monroe's iconic countenance, Warhol found the perfect figure to hold a mirror up to the times he found himself living through.
If you're looking to sell art by Andy Warhol, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.

10 Facts About Warhol’s Marilyn

All Marilyn Monroe facts

Marilyn (F. & S. II.31) by Andy Warhol - MyArtBroker

1. Andy Warhol made his original Marilyn Monroe painting in 1962

The actress died on 5 August 1962 after taking an overdose of sleeping pills. The news of her death inspired Warhol to create his first Marilyn silkscreen paintings later that month. He went on to make at least 23 Marilyn paintings before the end of the year.

Marilyn (F. & S. II.23) by Andy Warhol - MyArtBroker

2. Marilyn was among Warhol’s first silkscreens

Warhol started experimenting with silkscreen printing techniques in August 1962, just days before Marilyn’s tragic death. “The rubber-stamp method I’d been using to repeat images suddenly seemed too homemade; I wanted something stronger that gave more of an assembly-line effect,” Warhol recalled in his memoir POPism.

“My first experiments with screens were heads of Troy Donahue and Warren Beatty, and then when Marilyn Monroe happened to die that month, I got the idea to make screens of her beautiful face—the first Marilyns.”

3. Warhol’s Marilyn is based on a publicity photo for the film Niagara

In the 1953 thriller film, Marilyn played femme fatale Rose Loomis, an unfaithful wife who schemes a deadly plan against her older husband while they holidayed at Niagara Falls.

The original publicity photo of Marilyn for Niagara is in black and white and shows the actress up to chest height. For his paintings, Warhol cropped the photo to draw more attention to Marilyn’s face. Some of his portraits are in monochrome while others are painted in bright, imagined colours. “As for whether it’s symbolical to paint Monroe in such violent colours: it’s beauty, and she’s beautiful and if something’s beautiful it’s pretty colours, that’s all,” Warhol explained.

Marilyn (F. & S. II.28) by Andy Warhol - MyArtBroker

4 - 10.

All Marilyn Monroe facts

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1 work

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1 work

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