The Warhol sale unseated the earlier document holder by greater than $80 million.
NEW YORK — Andy Warhol’s “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” bought for a cool $195 million on Monday, making the long-lasting portrait of Marilyn Monroe the costliest paintings by a U.S. artist ever bought at public sale.
The 1964 silkscreen picture reveals Monroe in vibrant close-up — hair yellow, eyeshadow blue and lips crimson — on a turquoise background. It is also the costliest piece from the twentieth century ever auctioned, in keeping with Christie’s public sale home in New York, the place the sale passed off.
The Warhol sale unseated the earlier document holder and one other trendy grasp, Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose 1982 portray “Untitled” of a skull-like face bought for a document $110.5 million at Sotheby’s in 2017.
Christie’s mentioned an unnamed purchaser made the acquisition Monday evening. When the public sale was introduced earlier this yr, they estimated it may go for as a lot as $200 million.
“It’s an incredible worth,” mentioned Alex Rotter, chairman of Christie’s twentieth and twenty first century artwork division. “Let it sink in, it’s fairly one thing.”
“That is the place we needed to be, clearly,” mentioned Guillaume Cerutti, CEO of Christie’s. “It proves we’re in a really resilient artwork market.”
The proceeds of the sale will go to the Thomas and Doris Ammann Basis Zurich, which put the portray up for public sale. The inspiration goals to assist kids with well being care and academic applications.
Warhol created a couple of picture of Monroe; this specific portray has been exhibited in museums all over the world.
His Gold Marilyn Monroe is now one of many cornerstones of the everlasting assortment on the Museum of Fashionable Artwork in New York.
