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Marilyn Monroe

Object Details

Exhibition Label
Based on a publicity still from Marilyn Monroe's 1953 film Niagara, Andy Warhol's portrait of the film star conveys both her glamour and fragility. A gifted performer, Monroe became an iconic sex symbol, entertaining troops in Korea and electrifying movie audiences. Despite her success, she maintained an air of vulnerability. Warhol capitalized on these contradictions, first portraying Monroe after her 1962 death from a drug overdose. Using silkscreens, he created multiple renditions of the actress. By emphasizing the images' off-register printing, Warhol created a powerful metaphor for the dissolution of Monroe's career and the blinding impact of her overexposure. In this screenprint, part of a series of ten, Monroe's sensual features dissolve into a nearly impenetrable mask as Warhol's non-naturalistic colors and their improper alignment produce a jarring effect, at once familiar and alienating.
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Artist
Andy Warhol, 6 Aug 1928 - 22 Feb 1987
Printer
Aetna Silkscreen Products, Inc.
Publisher
Factory Additions
Sitter
Marilyn Monroe, 1 Jun 1926 - 5 Aug 1962
Date
1967
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Daniel Solomon
Medium
Screenprint on paper
Dimensions
91.5 x 91.5cm (36 x 36")
Frame: 96.2 x 96.2 x 3.7cm (37 7/8 x 37 7/8 x 1 7/16")
Type
Print

Featured In

  • 1967: A Year in the Collections
  • Let's Go to the Movies
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