Marilyn (FS II.23) is a work of art by Andy Warhol that was published in an edition of 250 pieces as an original silkscreen in 1967. Andy Warhol has made famous personalities such as Beethoven or Goethe as well as stars immortal through his art. For his famous portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley or Mao, Andy Warhol usually used existing images from the press and advertising and processed these found images into works of enormous iconic presence. Often he created several identical images that differ only in their different color schemes. His works have now in turn found their way into the media world from which their originals came and are reproduced over and over again in the most diverse contexts.

The photo Andy Warhol used for the Marilyn series was taken by Gene Korman in 1953 as a publicity shot for Marilyn’s film “Niagara”. What fascinated Warhol about the motif was the connection between famous personality, death and tragedy, and the commercialization of identity through mass media.

Marilyn Monroe FS II.23 is a classic silkscreen by Andy Warhol that appeared in his Marilyn series. This version can be called the turquoise Marilyn, or “yellow” in terms of hair. The work is an expression of Warhol’s famous Pop style, showing the actress in bright hues and flat areas of color: a signature of Warhol’s technique. The Marilyn prints are archetypal of the Pop Art movement that Warhol championed with works such as Campbell’s Soup Cans. The portfolio presents Marilyn Monroe as a pop culture icon and reflects many of Andy’s curiosities.

Warhol originally painted Monroe’s portrait in Marilyn Diptych (1962). Soon after her death, he became fascinated with the actress as a hyper-real image of glamour and fame. A sensitive observer of the public, Warhol also noticed how Monroe’s reputation evolved after her tragic suicide. For each Marilyn creation, Warhol used the same photograph: a publicity shot that Gene Korman had taken in 1953 for Marilyn’s film Niagara. The portfolio gained a certain notoriety as a result. The art world began to question an artist’s ability to appropriate a recurring symbol before it became a copyright issue. Nonetheless, the Marilyn portraits were very successful and became some of Warhol’s most famous prints.

Many of the themes of Warhol’s multidimensional artistic philosophy can be found in the series. While he was fascinated by the lives of celebrities and the concept of fame, he also found inspiration in more mundane aspects of life. Consumer culture, mass production, and the modern wonders of industrial progress inspired him; hence his depictions of Coca-Cola, Kellog’s Corn Flakes, and Campbell’s Soup. In fact, Warhol had a very positive attitude towards capitalism and everyday consumption. He seemed obsessed with anything that was overly visible in the world. Whether Warhol was painting grocery stores or celebrities like Liz Taylor, Mick Jagger, or Marilyn Monroe, he focused on intersecting ideas of consumption, entertainment, and commercial and industrial production.

For Warhol, Marilyn was the celebrity par excellence.
In the portfolio he presents Marilyn Monroe not as a single person, but as an idea.Her face has no imperfections; Warhol immersed her in a multitude of bright colors and screen-printed her repeatedly.Through this method, the Marilyns reveal Warhol’s central theme of mechanical reproduction.In fact, he created hundreds of Marilyn prints (including proofs and numbered editions) over the course of his life. Moreover, Andy Warhol’s portfolio is aware of the way identity is commodified, reflecting the visual diet of mid-century America.A highly successful Hollywood superstar, Marilyn’s image was mass produced and broadcast to viewers across the country.

In an effort to capture the cultural mood of his society, Andy depicts Marilyn not as she lived, but as she existed in the public imagination.The Marilyn portraits illustrate the dreams and aspirations of a culture fixated on the world of entertainment and celebrity.Warhol presents a grandiose symbol of the entire American spectacle.He allows his audience to engage with their own ideas of luxury and limelight.

Ultimately, Marilyn Monroe FS II.23 is one of Warhol’s most powerful images. Warhol created an “icon from an icon” by highlighting Monroe’s legacy in the history of entertainment as well as the visual arts.Many of his fascinations can be found in the portfolio, and the work proved to be extremely important in the acceptance of Pop Art into the ranks of the high art scene.Marilyn Monroe 23 remains a highly sought-after work from Warhol’s estate.The Marilyn portraits continue to fetch top prices on the prestigious art market and are among the most important works of modern art.

Today, the artwork Marilyn is one of the most sought after and sold works by Andy Warhol as an original graphic.

Literature: Feldman, Frayda/Schellmann, Jörg: Andy Warhol Prints – A Catalogue Raisonné 1962-1987, Mailand 2003 (4. Aufl.), WVZ.-Nr. II.23