Shot Marilyns

Shot Marilyns
L-R: Shot Light Blue, Orange, Sage Blue, Red Marilyns
ArtistAndy Warhol
Year1964
MediumAcrylic and silkscreen ink on linen
MovementPop Art
SubjectMarilyn Monroe
Dimensions101.6 cm × 101.6 cm (40.0 in × 40.0 in)

The Shot Marilyns are a series of five 1964 silkscreen paintings by American artist Andy Warhol depicting actress Marilyn Monroe. Based on a publicity photograph from the 1953 film Niagara taken by Gene Kornman, the paintings feature Monroe's portrait rendered in different color combinations and backgrounds.

The paintings acquired their collective title after performance artist Dorothy Podber fired a revolver through a stack of four of the canvases at Warhol's Factory studio in 1964. Although the damaged works were repaired, the incident permanently altered their history and contributed to their fame. The Shot Marilyns are among Warhol's most celebrated works and include some of the most expensive paintings ever sold, notably Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, which sold for $195 million in 2022, setting a record for the most expensive artwork by an American artist at auction.

Background

Pop artist Andy Warhol had a fascination with Hollywood and fame since childhood.[1] A legend of the silver screen, Marilyn Monroe is widely considered to be the epitome of Hollywood glamor.[2] After her death at the age of 36 in August 1962, Warhol began immortalizing her in his work.[3]

In 1964, Warhol revisited his recurring image of actress Marilyn Monroe in a series of large silkscreen portraits that later became known as the Shot Marilyns.[4][5] Based on the same publicity still from the 1953 film Niagara photographed by Gene Kornman, the paintings continued Warhol's exploration of celebrity, repetition, and mass-media imagery that had defined his earlier Marilyn works from 1962, including Gold Marilyn Monroe, Marilyn Diptych, and Flavor Marilyns.[4][6] Their title originated later that year when performance artist Dorothy Podber visited Warhol's Factory studio and fired a revolver through a stack of the paintings.[4]

Description

The series consists of five 40-inch square canvases, each distinguished by different color combinations and backgrounds: red, orange, light blue, sage blue, and turquoise.[7][8] The Shot Marilyns differed from the earlier Flavor Marilyns (1962) in both scale and execution, featuring larger canvases, more luminous colors, and a more polished silkscreen technique that reflected Warhol's increasing mastery of the medium.[9]

Although the sage blue and turquoise canvases share a similar blue-green background, the two paintings differ in their treatment of Monroe's facial features and color palette.[3][10] In Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, Monroe's face is rendered in a vivid pink hue that heightens the artificiality of the image, while her earrings are painted the same sage color as the background, causing them to blend into the composition.[3] By contrast, Turquoise Marilyn features a lighter, more naturalistic flesh tone and pink earrings that stand out against the turquoise backdrop.[10] These subtle variations demonstrate Warhol's practice of altering color relationships within otherwise identical compositions.

The shooting

Publicity portrait of Marilyn Monroe for the 1953 film Niagara

During a visit to the Factory in the fall of 1964, performance artist Dorothy Podber arrived at the Factory accompanied by two friends and her Great Dane.[11] Pobear was a former neighbor of Factory photographer Billy Name on the Lower East Side.[11] Spotting a stack of newly completed Marilyn canvases leaning against a wall, Podber asked Warhol if she could "shoot" them.[11] Believing she meant to photograph them, Warhol agreed.[12] Podber then removed her gloves, drew a small pistol from her handbag, and fired a single shot through the stack of paintings, striking Monroe "right between the eyes," according to Name.[12]

The incident reportedly shocked Warhol, who was visibly upset by the shooting, and Podber was thenceforth barred from the Factory for life.[11][12] Although the damaged canvases were later repaired, the event permanently altered their history and gave rise to the collective title Shot Marilyns.[11][12] Four of the five paintings were struck by the bullet, while a fifth canvas with the turquoise background was not damaged because it was not part of the stack.[13] The mark of the bullet is still faintly visible, despite Warhol's best efforts to repair it.[14][15] The paintings were therefore retitled Shot Light Blue Marilyn, Shot Orange Marilyn, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, and Shot Red Marilyn.[16]

Interpretation and legacy

The shooting of the Shot Marilyns has often been interpreted as more than a colorful anecdote in the history of Warhol's Factory.[11] Art historians have noted that Podber's actions echoed many of the artistic concerns that Warhol himself was exploring, including authorship and originality.[12] Although Warhol strongly disliked the incident, the repaired bullet damage became an inseparable part of the paintings' history, effectively making Podber's action part of the works themselves.[12]

The episode has also been viewed as a form of performance art or "happening," a genre pioneered by artists such as Allan Kaprow. Podber's literal interpretation of the word "shoot"—commonly used to describe photographing a subject—introduced an element of linguistic play reminiscent of the puns and provocations associated with the Dada movement.[12] Whether motivated by artistic intent or mischief, her actions transformed the Shot Marilyns into some of the most famous and valuable works in Warhol's oeuvre.[17][13]

Acquisitions

Shot Light Blue Marilyn was purchased by industrialist Peter Brant for $5,000 in 1967.[18][19][15]

Shot Red Marilyn was sold to Masao Wanibuchi for $4.1 million at Christie's in 1989.[20][21] In the midst of an art market recession, he sold it at a loss to Greek billionaire Philip Niarchos for $3.6 million in 1994.[22]

Orange Marilyn was bought for $17.3 million by Condé Nast Chairman S. I. Newhouse Jr. at Sotheby's in 1998.[8][23] At the time, that was a record for Warhol and the most expensive Pop art work sold at auction. After Newhouse's death, hedge fund manager Kenneth C. Griffin purchased the painting for around $200 million in 2017.[24]

Turquoise Marilyn was bought by businessman Steve Cohen in 2007 for a rumored $80 million.[25]

Shot Sage Blue Marilyn was first acquired by Leon Kraushar, a New York-based insurance broker and art collector; then New York art dealer Leo Castelli; and eventually S. I. Newhouse Jr., who sold it to Zurich art dealer and collector Thomas Ammann.[26] The painting was last auctioned at Christie's in New York City in May 2022.[27] It sold for $195 million from the Foundation of Thomas and Doris Ammann.[28][29] This sale greatly extended the record for a price paid at auction for a work by an American artist, set by Jean-Michel Basquiat's 1982 painting Untitled, which sold for $110.5 million in 2017.[30][31] It also set the mark for the most expensive work of 20th-century art sold in a public sale.[32] The purchaser was the American art dealer Larry Gagosian.[33] It has not been disclosed as of yet whether he was buying the work for himself or a secondary party.[34]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Gopnik, Blake (2020). Warhol. New York, NY: ECCO, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-0-06-229839-3.
  2. ↑ Morgan, Lucy (2022-05-06). "Is Kim Kardashian the modern day Marilyn Monroe?". Glamour UK. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  3. 1 2 3 "Andy Warhol's Marilyn: an icon of beauty". Christie's. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  4. 1 2 3 Polsky, Richard (2022-05-02). "The Wild History of the Warhol Marilyn That's Set to Fetch $200 Million". Artsy. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  5. ↑ Kazakina, Katya (2022-05-10). "An Ethereal Blue Warhol Marilyn Goes for $195 Million at Christie's, Becoming the Second-Priciest Work Ever Sold at Auction". Artnet News. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
  6. ↑ "Before Netflix, Warhol Tapped Into the Tragic Mythos of Marilyn Monroe—Here Are 3 Things You Might Not Know About His Iconic Works". Artnet News. 2022-10-10. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  7. ↑ "Have We Had an Orange Marilyn Moment?". Art Market Monitor. 2018-01-05. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  8. 1 2 Vogel, Carol (1998-05-15). "$17.3 Million 'Marilyn' Sets Record for Warhol". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  9. ↑ Gopnik, Blake (2022-05-10). "When a Warhol for $225 Has More Heft Than One for $195 Million". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  10. 1 2 "Turquoise Marilyn - 2016-02-08 - Andy Warhol". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bourdon, David (1989). Warhol. New York: Abrams. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-8109-1761-3.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Darwent, Charles (March 13, 2008). "Dorothy Podber: 'Witch' who shot Warhol's Marilyns". The Independent. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  13. 1 2 Williams, Emily (March 23, 2022). "Iconic Andy Warhol Portrait of Marilyn Monroe Could Sell for Record-Breaking $200 Million". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  14. ↑ "Andy Warhol's Marilyn - 10 Facts About the Legendary Artwork". Ars Mundi. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  15. 1 2 "Andy Warhol's 'Shot Light Blue Marilyn' in New York". The Marilyn Report. 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  16. ↑ Watson, Steven (2003-10-21). Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties. Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p. 174. ISBN 978-0-679-42372-0.
  17. ↑ "Marilyn Monroe Portrait Becomes Most Expensive 20th Century Artwork Sold". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  18. ↑ "Hating It Is a Good Sign: Peter Brant on Collecting". Wall Street Journal. 2011-05-07. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  19. ↑ "Warhol's Main Man". Wall Street Journal. 2013-04-24. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  20. ↑ Reif, Rita (1989-05-04). "A Warhol 'Red Marilyn' Sets Record at Christie's". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  21. ↑ "Warhol's 'Marilyn Monroe' Fetches Record $4 Million". Los Angeles Times. 1989-05-04. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
  22. ↑ Vogel, Carol (1994-11-03). "At $3.6 Million, Warhol's 'Marilyn' Is a Star Again". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-05-11.
  23. ↑ Kamholz, Roger (2013-11-05). "Andy Warhol and 'Orange Marilyn'". Sothebys.com. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
  24. ↑ "Casino Magnate Purchases A 'Marilyn' for $3 Million". Wall Street Journal. 24 July 1998.
  25. ↑ "Steve Cohen, billionaire hedge fund manager, is lending works to US and UK museums". 30 September 2007.
  26. ↑ Murphy, S. P. "Andy Warhol's "Shot Sage Marilyn" Heads to Auction at Christie's". airmail.news. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  27. ↑ "WARHol's MARILYN | Christie's".
  28. ↑ Ulaby, Neda (2022-05-09). "A Warhol 'Marilyn' brings a record auction price, $195 million". NPR. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  29. ↑ Goldstein, Caroline (2022-05-10). "As Andy Warhol's $195 Million 'Marilyn' Makes Auction History, We Look Back on the Artist's 11 Priciest Works". Artnet News. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  30. ↑ "Who's Gagosian, the Winning Bidder for Warhol's $195 Million 'Marilyn'". Bloomberg.com. 2022-05-10. Retrieved 2022-05-10.
  31. ↑ Pogrebin, Robin (2022-05-10). "Warhol's 'Marilyn,' at $195 Million, Shatters Auction Record for an American Artist". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  32. ↑ Vankin, Deborah (2022-05-10). "Sold for $195 million, Andy Warhol's 'Shot Sage Blue Marilyn' sets new auction record". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2026-05-31.
  33. ↑ "Who's Gagosian, the Winning Bidder for Warhol's $195 Million 'Marilyn'". Bloomberg.com. 10 May 2022.
  34. ↑ Porterfield, Carlie (May 10, 2022). "Why Larry Gagosian Bought Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe Portrait for a Record $195 Million". Forbes. Retrieved July 9, 2025.

Sources

  • Livingstone, Marco (ed.), Pop Art: An International Perspective, The Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1991, ISBN 0-8478-1475-0
  • Stokstad, Marilyn, Art History, 1995, Prentice Hall, Inc., and Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, ISBN 0-8109-1960-5
  • Vogel, Carol (1998). The New York Times: INSIDE ART; Perhaps Shot, Perhaps Not . Retrieved January 4, 2008.
  • Warhol, Andy and Pat Hackett, Popism: The Warhol Sixties, Harcourt Books, 1980, ISBN 0-15-672960-1
  • Watson, Steven, Factory Made: Warhol and the Sixties, Pantheon Books, 2003.
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