The Marilyn That Set Andy Warhol's Auction Record
3 min read · 15 Jan 2025
Shot Sage Blue Marilyn. Image courtesy of Christie's
Andy Warhol, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn (1964), sold for $195m at Christie's in New York on May 9, 2022. The acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen work had been traded 7 times in the past.
In 1964, Warhol created five silkscreens of Marilyn Monroe, four of which were stacked in the artist's studio when the performance artist Dorothy Podber asked if she could "shoot" them. Warhol agreed, assuming she meant take photographs. Instead, Prodber fired a gun at the stack. Although the bullet's damage was repaired, the violent action became part of the works' title.
Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster). Image courtesy of Sotheby's
The Marilyn sale beat the artist’s previous auction record by $89.59m, a 84% rise. The previous record was set by Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) (1963), which sold for $105.4m at Sotheby's on November 13, 2013. The work had not been traded before.
A Brief History of Andy Warhol at Auction
Sale Date | Title | Price | Record Increase | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2022-05-09 | Shot Sage Blue Marilyn | $195m | 85 % | Christie's | New York |
2013-11-13 | Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) | $105.4m | 47 % | Sotheby's | New York |
2007-05-16 | Green Car Crash Green Burning Car I | $71.72m | 313 % | Christie's | New York |
2006-11-15 | Mao | $17.38m | 0 % | Christie's | New York |
1998-05-14 | Orange Marilyn | $17.33m | 368 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1989-05-03 | Shot Red Marilyn | $3.7m | 3 % | Christie's | New York |
1988-11-10 | Marilyn Monroe, twenty times | $3.6m | 177 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1988-05-02 | 210 Coca-Cola bottles | $1.3m | 117 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1987-05-05 | White Car Crash 19 times | $600,000 | 71 % | Christie's | New York |
1986-11-11 | 200 One Dollar Bills | $350,000 | 133 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1985-11-05 | S and H green stamps | $150,000 | 11 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1973-10-18 | Flowers | $135,000 | 275 % | Sotheby's | New York |
1973-07-05 | Single Elvis | $36,000 | 9 % | Sotheby's | London |
1972-06-10 | Double Elvis | $33,000 | - | Rheims & Laurin | Paris |
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