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"Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" is one in a series of
portraits Warhol made of the actress following her death in 1962
and has since become one of pop art's best-known pieces.
Held in the collection of Swiss art dealers Thomas and Doris
Ammann, it was sold by Christie's at an auction in New York.
Pre-sale estimates had reached as high as $200 million.
The painting sold for a hammer price of $170 million Added fees
gave it a final price of $195 million.
The sale broke the previous record for an American artwork at
auction of $110.5 million set in 2017 for a 1982 painting by
Jean-Michel Basquiat.
"'Shot Sage Blue Marilyn' is the absolute pinnacle of American
Pop," Alex Rotter, chairman of 20th and 21st Century art at
Christie's, said in a statement announcing the auction. "The
painting transcends the genre of portraiture, superseding 20th
century art and culture."
The painting is built on a promotional photo of Monroe from the
1953 film "Niagara," screened with bright colors over her eyes,
hair and lips.
Its title refers to an incident in which a woman shot at a stack
of four Marilyn portraits in Warhol's studio with a pistol,
although "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" was not struck by a bullet.
Monroe was one of Hollywood's best-known stars before her death
of an overdose at her home in Los Angeles on Aug. 4, 1962.
Warhol died in 1987.
(The story corrects to change final sale price.)
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and
Stephen Coates)
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