Andy Warhol — Marilyn For Sale

No image is more synonymous with Andy Warhol — or with Pop Art itself — than his Marilyn. The 1967 screenprint portfolio (Feldman & Schellmann II.21–31) is the most widely collected and recognisable version of the subject, and remains one of the defining acquisitions in the entire field of post-war printmaking.

What Is the Marilyn Series?

Warhol drew his Marilyn image from a single publicity still taken for the 1953 film Niagara. He first used the photograph in 1962, only weeks after Monroe's death — an act that transformed a Hollywood headshot into a meditation on fame, mortality and mass reproduction. The 1967 portfolio crystallised that motif into ten screenprints, each presenting the same cropped face in a different chromatic key: turquoise, orange, sage blue, candy pink and beyond. The repetition and colour shifts turn Monroe into a secular icon, simultaneously glamorous and elegiac.

Edition and Production Details

The 1967 portfolio comprises ten screenprints, published in an edition of 250 plus 26 artist's proofs. Each print isolates Monroe's face against a flat field, with hair, lips and eyeshadow registered as bold, independent colour planes. The portfolio's brilliance lies in its variation: ten identical compositions become ten distinct emotional registers purely through colour.

The Shot Marilyns — A Crucial Distinction

Collectors should distinguish the 1967 prints from the celebrated Shot Marilyns, which are 1964 canvases — not part of the print portfolio. In May 2022, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn sold at Christie's New York for $195 million, becoming the most expensive American artwork ever sold at auction. While these paintings sit far above the print market, their renown directly amplifies demand for the accessible 1967 screenprints.

Most Sought-After Prints

• FS II.23 (Teal Marilyn) — a vivid teal ground, one of the most striking and sought-after colourways in the portfolio.
• FS II.24 (Pink Marilyn) — a vivid, high-key pink ground, consistently among the most coveted impressions in the portfolio.
• FS II.31 (Black Marilyn) — a bold black ground, the most dramatic colourway in the portfolio and among the most coveted impressions.

Market and Price Context

The Marilyn prints have demonstrated exceptional price resilience across multiple market cycles, repeatedly proving their status as blue-chip assets. Individual 1967 screenprints trade from $150,000 up to $450,000 and above for the most coveted examples — Teal (FS II.23), Pink (FS II.24) and Black (FS II.31) consistently command the strongest prices. Colourway, condition and provenance are the primary drivers of value.

Underpinning this stability is deep institutional validation: the Marilyn works are held by MoMA, Tate Modern, The Andy Warhol Museum and countless other major collections, anchoring both the cultural significance and the long-term market confidence in the series.

Authentication

Authentic 1967 portfolio impressions are catalogued in Feldman & Schellmann (II.21–31) and should display the correct dimensions, paper, signature and edition numbering. As with all sought-after Warhol images, provenance documentation, condition assessment and catalogue references are essential to valuation. Buyers should be wary of later reproductions and posters; we advise acquiring only impressions with verifiable references and clear ownership history.

Acquiring a Warhol Marilyn Print

Guy Hepner specialises in Andy Warhol's Marilyn prints and can source impressions across the portfolio's full spectrum of colourways and price levels. Whether you seek a specific colour to complete a collection or are making a first significant acquisition, our specialists can advise on availability, market value and condition. View available Andy Warhol Marilyn prints for sale or contact the gallery to discuss a particular image.