A portrait of Marilyn Monroe by Andy Warhol sold for 195 million dollars

“Shot Sage Blue Marilyn,” a portrait of Marilyn Monroe by pop-art star Andy Warhol, shown at Christie's House in Manhattan, March 21, 2022. © REUTERS/Carlo Allegri

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It is the most expensive 20th century work of art ever sold at public auction.

It was at Christie's auction house in New York, Monday evening May 9.

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Shot Sage Blue Marilyn

, a painting executed in 1964, two years after the tragic death of the Hollywood glamor icon, sold out in four minutes at the exact price of $195.04 million, including fees, to a packed room in the headquarters of Christie's, in the heart of Manhattan.

Dozens of Christie's intermediaries were also in the auction room, hanging on their phones to take orders from buyers.

The auction house, owned by the very large French fortune François Pinault, clarified during a brief press conference that the offer which had won the "Marilyn" had been made from the room.

Pre-sale estimates hovered around $200 million.

This portrait of Marilyn Monroe beats the previous record for a 20th century work,

 by Pablo Picasso, sold at auction for 179.4 million dollars in May 2015, and

Amedeo 's

Modigliani (170.4 million in November 2015).

The absolute record, all periods combined, for a sale of a work of art at auction is held by

Leonardo da Vinci's

The auction record for a Warhol belonged to

, a monumental canvas depicting a car crash, which sold for $105 million in 2013.

Painted in silkscreen ink and acrylics,

is one of five meter-by-meter portraits of vivid, saturated and contrasting colors that the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based artist New York, had made in 1964 from a photo for the promotion of the film Niagara in 1953. Pink face, blond hair and pronounced lipstick, the actress reveals an enigmatic smile, on a turquoise blue background.

Four of the five "Shot" of 1964 take their name from an incident that makes their legend.

At Andy Warhol's The Factory studio in Manhattan, a visiting artist, Dorothy Podber, had asked if she could " 

 paintings

 .

Warhol had accepted, not understanding that she was then going to pull out a revolver and shoot four portraits.

To the naked eye, no trace appears today of this incident on the work.

The portrait of Marilyn is part of a collection put up for sale by the Zurich foundation Thomas and Doris Ammann, named after the Swiss art dealer and collector Thomas Ammann, a friend of Warhol who died of AIDS in 1993, and his sister Doris .

All proceeds from the sale will go to the foundation, which is dedicated "

 " through health and education, according to Christie's.

(AFP)

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