(Pittsburgh 1928–1987 New York)
Marilyn Monroe, 1967, silkscreen on paper, edition of 250, signed in pencil and numbered 104/250 on the reverse, 91.4 x 91.4 cm

Provenance:
European Private Collection since the end of the Sixties

Literature:
Frayda Feldman/Jörg Schellmann, Andy Warhol Prints, A Catalogue Raisonné 1962–1987, Munich 2015, II.27, p. 68 with ill. (another example ill.)

In his Marilyn series (…), Warhol created the Monroe diptych by painting the canvas first using different colors before he screened the now-famous image of Marilyn on top of the canvas. (…) The act of printing and painting in several variations allowed Warhol to play and explore the range of graphic possibilities that that single image of Marilyn could produce. Warhol demonstrated his extraordinary use of color by adding day-glow colors and metallic paints that were not commonly found in contemporary art, which further helped it stand out.

The five rows of the diptych resemble the movielike strips that acknowledge her status as an icon. The repetition of her image symbolized mass production, while the diptych style used in the portrait was inspired by the Byzantine icons of Christian saints. By placing Marilyn Monroe’s portraits in the diptych, Warhol was commenting on the saint-like nature that fans assign celebrities, which in turn causes the public to approach celebrities with some sense of holiness and immortality.

(From: publicdelivery.org/andy-warhol-marilyn-monroe/)