Andy Warhol's painting, Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, garnered US$195 million dollars at Christie's New York – becoming the second most expensive painting in auction history. It is second to Renaissance Master, Leonardo Da Vinci's Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World).
A rare work by Warhol, this Marilyn Monroe-inspired masterpiece is one of five paintings series – each with different background colours. In this sale, this present sage blue version smashed Warhol's auction record – reclaiming the Pop Art Master's title as the most expensive American artist ever from close friend, Jean-Michel Basquiat.
In this Thomas and Doris Ammann Collection Evening Sale, 34 out of 36 lots offered were sold – accumulating a 94.4 per cent sale rate and a sale total of nearly US$318 million dollars. The Collection was part of late Swiss siblings, and the auction’s proceeds will be donated for charitable purposes.
Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn masterpiece was hammered at US$170 million dollars
Lot 36A ￨ Andy Warhol ￨ Shot Sage Blue Marilyn, Acrylic and silkscreen on linen
Created in 1964
101.6 x 101.6 cm
Provenance:
- Leon Kraushar, New York
- Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
- Fred Mueller, New York
- Private collection
- Blum Helman Gallery, New York
- S. I. Newhouse, New York
- Thomas Ammann Fine Art AG, Zurich, acquired from the above through Gagosian Gallery in 1986
- Bequest from the above to the present owner
Estimate upon request (expected to fetch US$200 million)
Hammer Price: US$170,000,000
Sold: US$195,040,000
The auctioneer, Jussi Pylkkanen, started the bidding at US$100 million dollars. After more than 5 bids, the hammer was dropped at US$170 million dollars. The winning bid was a gentleman in the room – who is reportedly Larry Gagosian – American art dealer and founder of Gagosian Gallery. In the end, the painting garnered US$195 million dollars with buyer’s premium. Although it sold US$5 million dollars less than expected, it ranked as the second costliest painting in auction history.
Here is a recap of the three most most expensive paintings in auction history:
- Leonardo da Vinci｜Salvator Mundi (Saviour of the World)｜Christie’s New York, November 2017｜Sold: US$450,312,500
- Andy Warhol｜Shot Sage Blue Marilyn｜Christie's New York, May 2022｜Sold: US$195,040,000
- Pablo Picasso｜Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O) [Women of Algiers (Version O)]｜Christie’s New York, May 2015｜Sold: US$179,365,000
Da Vinci’s Salvator Mundi
Picasso’s Women of Algiers (Version O)
Shot Sage Blue Marilyn is one of the most iconic paintings of the 20th century.
In August 1962, Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe died. That year, Andy Warhol created a series of works based on Monroe’s promotional poster for the 1953 movie, Niagara. Two years later, in 1964, he depicted the protagonist’s face with bright colours, and used a more delicate silkscreen printing technique to create a number of works starring Monroe.
This series of five works – including red, orange, sage blue, light blue and turquoise versions – became known as the Shot Marilyns.
Warhol's silkscreen work was inspired by Monroe's promotional poster for the 1953 film, Niagara
Andy Warhol
But why is the series called as such?
In fact, the Shot Marilyns series got its name after American performance artist, Dorothy Podber, visited Warhol’s New York studio in 1964. She saw the artworks and asked the American artist if she could shoot them. Believing she meant taking pictures, he agreed. Unexpectedly, the woman took out a revolver and shot through the forehead of Monroe's likenesses with a single shot.
Amongst the five paintings, four were hit by the bullet – the turquoise version was left undamaged in another location. Podber was later barred from entering the studio again.
Five Shot Marilyn paintings were placed in Andy Warhol's studio, but were unexpectedly shot
Shooting Marilyns were highly sought after by top collectors – setting two auction records for the American artist in the past few decades. In 1989, the red version was sold for a then-record US$4.01 million dollars at Christie's New York. In 1998, the orange version fetched US$17.3 million dollars at Sotheby's New York, which set another new auction record.
Warhol's previous auction record was set in 2013 – his 1963 silkscreen work, Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster), garnered US$105 million dollars at Sotheby's New York. He became the most expensive American artist in history.
In 2017, this record was broken by his close friend, Basquiat's 1982 skull painting, Untitled. It fetched US$110 million dollars, and was purchased by Japanese billionaire, Yusaku Maezawa. Basquiat became the newly crowned most valuable American artist ever. After today’s sale, this position returns to Andy Warhol.
Warhol's Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)
Japanese billionaire Maezawa bought Untitled (1982) for US$110 million dollars – propelling Basquiat as the most valuable American artist in history
This sage blue work once belonged to the late collection of S.I. Newhouse and was acquired by Thomas Ammann through Gagosian Gallery in 1986. It was exhibited in major art institutions around the world for decades – including Guggenheim Museum in New York; Centre Pompidou in Paris, Tate Modern in London, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.
A distinguished art dealer, Doris founded the gallery – Thomas Ammann Fine Art AG in 1977 with her younger brother. The pair promoted and sold Impressionist, Modern, Post-War and Contemporary masterpieces to prominent private collections and museums – such as Museum of Modern Art, New York. The two passed away in 1993 and 2021.
The auctioned artworks were released by the Foundation founded by siblings – Thomas and Doris Ammann. Proceeds will be donated to their namesake Foundation, which is devoted to healthcare and educational programmes for underprivileged children around the world.
The buyer of Warhol’s Marilyn has been invited to partner with the Foundation – with the opportunity to nominate charities to which 20 per cent of the work’s proceeds will be allocated – subject to the Foundation’s final approval.
Warhol's Shot Sage Blue Marilyn hung in the Ammann residence
Thomas and Doris Ammann
Alongside Warhol’s record-breaking painting, four paintings fetched more than US$15 million dollars:
Lot 34A ￨ Cy Twombly ￨ Untitled, Oil-based house paint, wax crayon, colored pencil and lead pencil on canvas
Created in 1955
127 x 147 cm
Provenance:
- Private collection
- Thomas Ammann Fine Art AG, Zurich, 2012
- Acquired from the above by the present owner
Estimate: US$10,000,000 – 15,000,000
Hammer Price: US$18,000,000
Sold: US$21,000,000
Lot 12A ￨ Robert Ryman ￨ Untitled, Oil on linen
Created in 1961
169 x 169.5 cm
Provenance:
- Peder Bonnier Gallery, New York
- Thomas Ammann Fine Art AG, Zurich, 1981
- Acquired from the above by the present owner
Estimate: US$15,000,000 – 20,000,000
Hammer Price: US$17,250,000
Sold: US$20,141,250
Lot 7A ￨ Cy Twombly ￨ Venere Sopra Gaeta, Acrylic, oil-based house paint, wax crayon, colored pencil and lead pencil on paper and wooden panel, in artist's frame
Created in 1988
251.5 x 195 cm
Provenance
- Galleria Lucio Amelio, Naples
- Thomas Ammann Fine Art AG, Zurich
- Acquired from the above by the present owner
Estimate: US$10,000,000 – 15,000,000
Hammer Price: US$14,500,000
Sold: US$16,992,500
Lot 23A ￨ Andy Warhol ￨ Flowers, Acrylic and silkscreen ink on linen
Created in 1964
207.6 x 207 cm
Provenance:
- Leo Castelli Gallery, New York
- Kimiko & John Powers, Houston
- Private collection, New York
- Anon. sale; Sotheby's, New York, 9 November 1983, Lot 56
- Thomas Ammann Fine Art AG, Zurich
- Acquired from the above by the present owner
Estimate: US$15,000,000 – 20,000,000
Hammer Price: US$13,500,000
Sold: US$15,847,500
Auction Details:
Auction House: Christie’s New York
Sale: The Collection of Thomas and Doris Ammann Evening Sale
Date: 9 May 2022
Number of lots: 36
Sold: 34
Unsold: 2
Sale Rate: 94.4%
Sale Total: US$317,806,490