Shot Sage Blue Marilyn: The most expensive work of art of the 20th century?

Do you like Marilyn? Do you like Andy Warhol? When a great artist meets the beauty of an international star, it can only make sparks fly... Indeed, do you remember the incredible auction on Monday 9 May 2022? That was the day the Shot Sage Blue Marilyn was sold for $195 million! The most expensive work of art in the world...

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At Christie's New York, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn became a record-breaking painting. At $195 million, it is now the most expensive work and the new auction record for the Pop Art master.

The painting, from 1964, was reportedly sold to art dealer Lary Gagosian. "This was a historic night for Christie's and for the contemporary art market as a whole" said Alex Rotter, chairman of Christie's 20th and 21st century art departments.

Shot Sage Blue Marilyn was made two years after the death of Marilyn Monroe and is one of a series of five portraits. The title refers to the incident of Dorothy Podber shooting the five stars in a pile with a revolver. Thus, today, this image has remained etched in the visual repertoire of art history. From the beginning of her life until the end, Andy Warhol represented all the stages of Marilyn Monroe's career in a diptych.

Finally, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn has far surpassed the previous record sale. Indeed, in 2017 the painting Untitled by Jean-Michel Basquiat sold for the "modest sum" of 110.5 million euros.

So maybe it's time to invest in contemporary art!

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