Andy WARHOL (1928-1987), Marilyn Monroe (black),1981

Offset lithograph, satin-finish heavy paper 105 x 105 cm (in frame).
Published by the Neues Publishing Company, New York.
Printing authorized by the "Andy Warhol Foundation For The Visual Arts".
Warhol was one of the leading exponents of Pop Art, an art movement that celebrated popular culture and mass production. His portraits of Marilyn Monroe are one of the most iconic examples of this movement and also reflect his fascination with popular culture and media icons.
Monroe's portraits are based on a single promotional photo from the film "Niagara" (1953). This photo became the basis for many versions of the portraits taken by Warhol. Although each image is unique in color, the repetitive nature of Monroe's image underscores her iconic status and ubiquity in mass culture. Warhol used Marilyn Monroe's image to examine and comment on the cult of celebrity. Repeated portraits in vivid colors underscore her status as a pop culture icon who was constantly reproduced and exploited by the media. Andy Warhol's single portraits of Marilyn Monroe are among the most important works in pop art history. They have become icons in their own right, being both a tribute to Monroe and a critique of celebrity culture. These works are revered around the world and are in the collections of many prestigious museums and art galleries.