This silkscreen “Marilyn Monroe” represents one of the most emblematic subjects of the entire production of Andy Warhol, as well as an absolute icon of international Pop Art. Created from the early 1960s onwards and repeated in different chromatic variants, this version belongs to the certified graphic production published in the official catalogue raisonné of the artist’s prints.
The work, a colour silkscreen on paper, presents the famous face of the actress taken from a promotional photograph for the film Niagara (1953). However, the artist does not limit himself to reproducing the image, but intervenes through flat and contrasting colour fields, which deliberately alter the naturalism of the portrait. Consequently, the face becomes a serial image, freed from the private dimension and transformed into a media symbol.
From a stylistic point of view, the use of silkscreen allows for a mechanical repetition that reflects the relationship between art, consumption and mass culture. Moreover, the slight printing imperfections and colour variations highlight the production process, a central element in Warhol’s poetics. At the same time, the image maintains strong recognizability, making the subject immediately identifiable.
Description: Colour silkscreen on paper, bearing on the reverse the pencil signature “Andy Warhol” and edition number 127/250, H cm 91.4×91.4
Publications: Work published in ‘Andy Warhol Prints: A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987’, Feldman/Schellmann/Fourth edition revisited and expanded by Frayda Feldman and Claudia Defendi, D.A.P./ Distributed Art Publishers, pp. 68-69 – no. 11.23. Printed by: Aetna Silkscreen Products, Inc., New York. Published by: Factory Additions, New York.
Hammer Price: € 44.640,00
Auction 51 – 12 April 2022 – Modern and Contemporary Art, Graphics and Multiples
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