Andy Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe 29 is one in a series of ten screenprints that makes up one of Warhol’s most recognized portfolios. Fascinated by the shine and shimmer of fame, Warhol used Marilyn Monroe as one of his earliest muses. He recognized how famous she was as an actress, but was interested in how her fame grew exponentially after her tragic death. By making this portrait, among the nine others, Warhol immortalized Marilyn Monroe in an almost propagandist nature. This print is characterized by a lapis lazuli blue background, which is superimposed with a light pink coloring of the face and an orange hue for the hair. The deep blue background that comes through the screenprint accentuates Monroe’s famous,seductive eyes. This print, like Warhol’s other portraits, is based off of a photograph of the star taken by Gene Korman as a publicity shot for her 1953 film Niagara. Warhol began producing his Marilyn portraits shortly after her death in 1962. It has been said that Warhol created an icon out of an icon.
