Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe Pop Art Sells for Record $195 Million

Andy Warhol’s 1964 pop art portrait of Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe sold for $195 million on Monday night for nearly $200 million.

The iconic artwork, which is signed and dated by Warhol, sold at Christie’s in New York for approximately $195,040,000, making it the most expensive piece of 20th century American artwork ever to be sold at auction and the second most expensive artwork to sell at auction of all time.

Known as “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” the acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen 40-square-inch piece shows a glamorous-looking Monroe up-close in vibrant pops of yellow, pink, blue, and red colors. The actress’s face is set against an aqua blue background.

The piece was one of a handful of images that Warhol made of Monroe in the 1960s and was based on a publicity photo of Monroe from the film “Niagara.” It has been featured on the poster of the Tate Gallery 1971 Warhol retrospective in London.

Warhol began depicting Monroe in his work shortly after her death on Aug. 5, 1962.

Monday’s auction, which was watched virtually, saw registered bidders from across 29 countries competing for the piece, according to Christie’s.