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Andy Warhol’s Portrait Of Marilyn Monroe Sells For $195 Million

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Leena Nasir Entertainment Reporter
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Andy Warhol’s portrait of Marilyn Monroe sold for $195 million Monday, taking the lead as the most expensive work by an American artist ever sold at auction.

Christie’s auction house in New York oversaw the sale of the 1964 silkscreen “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn,” which is considered to be one of the most iconic portraits of the star, according to the CBC. Alex Rotter, chair of the 20th and 21st century art department at Christie’s, said the auction price was truly extraordinary.

“It’s an amazing price,” he said, according to the CBC. “Let it sink in, it’s quite something.”

Warhol’s legendary painting of Monroe is a 40-inch square, and has been described by Christie’s as being “one of the rarest and most transcendent images in existence,” according to CNN.(RELATED: Kim Kardashian Channels Her Inner Marilyn Monroe With An Iconic Met Gala Gown) 

The proud new owner of this artwork has remained unnamed, the CBC noted.

The proceeds of the sale will go to The Thomas and Doris Ammann Foundation Zurich, a foundation devoted to helping children with health care and educational programs, and which put the artwork up for auction, according to the CBC.

“Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” has been displayed in museums around the globe, including the New York City’s Guggenheim Museum, London’s Tate Modern, and the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and is just one of dozens of images that Warhol created of Monroe, according to CNN.

Warhol’s record-breaking sale bumps the previous record-holder, Jean-Michel Basquiat, whose 1982 painting “Untitled” sold for $110.5 million at Sotheby’s in 2017, according to the CBC.