Marilyn

About The Series

Warhol first turned to Marilyn Monroe shortly after the actress’s death in August 1962. Using a publicity still from the film Niagara (1953), he created a series of paintings that explored how modern fame could elevate an individual into a universally recognised symbol while simultaneously reducing them to a reproducible image.

Five years later, Warhol revisited the subject in print form. By 1967 he had established Factory Additions, allowing him to publish limited edition screenprints of some of his best-known subjects. The Marilyn portfolio became one of its earliest and most celebrated releases, translating the scale and visual impact of the earlier paintings into a carefully produced edition for collectors.

Screenprinting was fundamental to Warhol’s practice. Rather than disguising mechanical reproduction, he embraced it, treating each impression as both an artwork and a multiple. The Marilyn portfolio demonstrates this approach perfectly: the photographic image remains constant, while the hand-selected colour combinations ensure every print possesses its own distinct character.

The portfolio also reflects a broader shift in post-war art, where advertising, cinema and celebrity culture became legitimate artistic subjects. More than half a century later, Warhol’s interpretation of Marilyn Monroe continues to shape the way popular culture is represented in contemporary art.

Editions And Variations

The definitive Marilyn print portfolio was published in 1967 by Factory Additions.

Edition details include:

• 10 screenprints in colour
• Lenox Museum Board
• Image size approximately 91.4 × 91.4 cm (36 × 36 inches)
• Edition of 250 signed and numbered impressions
• 26 signed Artist’s Proofs, lettered A–Z
• Catalogue Raisonné: Feldman & Schellmann II.22–31

Although the composition never changes, each sheet features a unique colour palette. Rather than being simple colour variants of a single print, every colour combination forms its own catalogue entry within the portfolio.

Collectors may encounter complete portfolios or individual impressions. Complete sets appear comparatively rarely and typically command a significant premium because the original portfolio is often broken up to sell the prints individually.

It is also worth distinguishing the original 1967 Factory Additions prints from later reproductions and the Sunday B. Morning editions produced after Warhol’s original publication. While these later prints remain collectible in their own right, they occupy a different position in the market and should not be confused with the signed 1967 edition.

Collecting Marilyn

For many collectors, Marilyn represents the quintessential Warhol print. It combines one of the twentieth century’s most recognisable faces with one of the artist’s defining subjects, creating a portfolio that sits comfortably alongside Flowers, Campbell’s Soup and Mao as a cornerstone of Pop Art.

Its enduring appeal comes from more than celebrity alone. The portfolio marks an important moment in Warhol’s development as a printmaker, demonstrating how colour, repetition and commercial production could become artistic tools rather than merely reproductive techniques.

Institutional ownership has reinforced the portfolio’s significance. Individual Marilyn prints and related paintings are held by major museums worldwide, while the earlier Marilyn paintings remain among the most celebrated works of twentieth-century art.

Collectors also appreciate the flexibility of the series. Individual impressions offer opportunities to acquire a landmark Warhol print, while complete portfolios remain highly sought after by established collectors seeking museum-quality examples with exceptional provenance.

Notable Auction Results

The Marilyn portfolio has consistently ranked among Andy Warhol’s strongest-performing print editions at auction, with complete sets appearing only occasionally and attracting international competition.

Individual prints regularly achieve six-figure prices depending on colourway, condition, provenance and exhibition history. Certain colour combinations have developed particularly strong collector followings, contributing to sustained demand across the series.

The wider Marilyn body of work has also produced some of the most significant auction results in art market history. In 2022, Warhol’s painting Shot Sage Blue Marilyn sold for US$195 million at Christie’s, setting a record for the most expensive twentieth-century artwork ever sold at auction. Although distinct from the 1967 print portfolio, that landmark sale further cemented Marilyn’s position as one of the most coveted subjects in modern and contemporary art.

Explore Available Marilyn Prints

Optima Contemporary advises collectors seeking to buy or sell works from Andy Warhol’s Marilyn series. Speak with our team for guidance on provenance, rarity, market positioning and current availability.