NEW YORK (AP) — Andy Warhol's “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” sold for a cool $195 million on Monday, making the iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe the most expensive work by a U.S. artist ever sold at auction.
Perhaps the most famous Marilyn Monroe photograph, this image captured by Sam Shaw showcases her radiant charm. The iconic scene of Marilyn standing over a subway grate, her white dress billowing around her, it represents a moment of carefree sensuality.
Warhol's other “Marilyn” paintings have sold for various prices over the years. His “Shot Red Marilyn” went to a Japanese art collector for $4 million in 1989, while his “Orange Marilyn” sold for $17 million in 1998 — later selling for $200 million in 2018, Artsy reported.
In May 2022, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn (1964), sold for US$195 million (£158 million) at Christie's New York, making it the most expensive piece of 20th-century art ever sold. A testament to the level of fame and popularity that Warhol still weilds today, this work is one of his most immediately recognisable.
When Monroe died, she was single and childless. She had a net worth of $800,000, approximately $7 million today. Monroe lived lavishly and spent her money freely on clothing, jewelry and her home. She was also extremely generous to her friends and employees.
Instead, she pulled out a small revolver from her purse and shot a bullet through the stack of four paintings, creating a hole in between Marilyn's eyebrows.
Today, Mizrahi helped Monroe become one of the highest-paid dead celebrities in the world. As per Forbes in 2020, Marilyn had over $8 million in annual earnings in her name. Get the NEWS that fits your groove.
Who was the last person to photograph Marilyn Monroe?
A few weeks before Marilyn Monroe died, she took part in what would turn out to be her last professional photo shoot. Paired with photographer George Barris, whom she had come to trust, the images captured the star in honest and unguarded moments.
On September 15, 1954 photographer Sam Shaw shot the famous "flying skirt" image of his friend Marilyn Monroe. Sixty years ago today, Marilyn Monroe mesmerized a crowd of lucky onlookers while her white dress blew suggestively above her knees — and sometimes over her head.
She garnered the attention of Ben Lyon, an executive at 20th Century Fox and was offered a movie contract. She divorced Jim, dyed her hair a golden blonde and changed her name. She chose the surname Monroe as it was her mother's maiden name, while Marilyn came from the famous Broadway star, Marilyn Miller.
Marilyn Monroe was not only a talented actress, not only photogenic, not only beautiful: She was also, according to the internet, a woman of great, true wisdom.
Ripley's bought the dress for $4.8m (£3.9m) in 2016, setting a Guinness World Record for the most expensive dress sold at auction. It is now estimated to be worth more than $10m, the museum says. Adorned with more than 6,000 hand-sewn crystals, the gown was designed by lauded French costume designer Jean Louis.
One of the most talked-about and expensive paintings ever sold is 'Salvator Mundi'. This masterpiece, translating to 'Savior of the World', was rediscovered in the early 2000s and was auctioned for a staggering $450.3 million in 2017, making it the most expensive painting sold to date.
Andy Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn sold for US$195 million to a bidder in Christie's New York saleroom on Monday night after a brief round of bidding that opened at US$100 million. The work was purchased by Larry Gagosian. He and his gallery declined to comment further on the purchase.
In 1964, four of Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe screen prints were shot by an acquaintance in his studio. Since then, the so-called “Shot Marilyns” have become perhaps the most coveted Warhols of all time.
What is Marilyn Monroe's net worth? Celebrity Net Worth estimates Monroe's estate was worth around $800,000 at the time of her death which is around $7.8 million in 2022 adjusting for inflation. During her career, she earned little under $3 million ($24 million by today's economy) from film salary.
Lawford says that in "slurred" speech Monroe told him she was "tired and would not be coming" to dinner. Then, as her voice became less audible, she told him, "Say goodbye to Pat. Say goodbye to Jack [President Kennedy]. And say goodbye to yourself, because you're a nice guy."
Iconic American actor Marilyn Monroe lived and died in the same home in Brentwood. In 2023, the home's new owner was listed as Glory of the Snow LLC. It is a company managed by Dan Lukas, who is an Emerald Lake hedge fund manager, and his wife Anne Jarmain.
It was likely purchased by the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, via a proxy. The painting has not been seen publicly since the sale, and as of 2022 its whereabouts remained unknown.
Christie's made history by auctioning a newly discovered painting by Leonardo da Vinci for $450 million. Five years since the auction, not all critics believe the portrait was painted by the polymath. Every argument for why Salvator Mundi is a real Leonardo easily can be construed as an argument for why it is not.
