A famous portrait of Marilyn Monroe by pop art master Andy Warhol sold for US $ 195 million (C $ 284 million) at Christie’s on Monday night in New York, becoming a work of art for 20at best century sold at public auction.
Sage Blue Marilyn was shota painting executed in 1964, two years after the tragic death of the Hollywood icon, went in four minutes at the exact price of 195.04 million US dollars, including costs, in a cramped room in the main- Christie’s home office, at heart. of Manhattan.
Dozens of Christie’s mediators were also in the auction room, hanging on to their phones. The auction house, owned by French fortune François Pinault, clarified in a brief press conference that the bid won Marilyn is made from the room.
Estimates before the sale amounted to approximately US $ 200 million (C $ 260 million).
With Picasso and Vinci
This photo by Marilyn Monroe beat the previous record for a work from 20at century, Woman of Algiers (version 0)by Pablo Picasso, sold at auction for 233.8 million Canadian dollars in May 2015, and the Reclining Nudeof Amedeo Modigliani (222 million Canadian dollars in November 2015).
The absolute record – all periods combined – for a sale of a work of art at auction is held by Savior Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci, auctioned in November 2017 for 586.8 million Canadian dollars.
Owned the auction record for a Warhol Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)a monumental canvas representing a car accident, sold for 137 million Canadian dollars in 2013.
Painted with silkscreen ink and acrylic, Sage Blue Marilyn was shot is one of five one meter per one meter photographs in bright, saturated and diverse colors, made by the artist in 1964 from a photograph for film promotion. niagarareleased in 1953.
Pink face, blond hair and pronounced lipstick, the actress shows a mysterious smile, on a turquoise blue background.
Fire
four out of five Shot of 1964 took their name from an incident that made their legend. At Andy Warhol’s studio in Manhattan, a guest actress, Dorothy Podber, asked if she could photo the tables (shoot in English). Warhol admitted, not understanding that he would pull out a revolver and shoot four pictures. To the eye, no trace can be seen today of this incident at work.
The photo is part of a collection sold by the Zurich -based Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation, named after Swiss art dealer and collector Thomas Ammann, a friend of Warhol who died of AIDS in 1993, and his brother Doris.
All proceeds from the sale will go to this foundation, which is dedicated improving the lives of children through health and education, according to Christie.
Source: Radio-Canada
