Marilyn (Primary Title)
Andy Warhol, American, 1928 - 1987 (Artist)
“I just see Monroe as just another person. As for whether it’s symbolical to paint Monroe in such violent colors: it’s beauty, and she’s beautiful and if something’s beautiful it’s pretty colors, that’s all.” –Andy Warhol
Beginning just after Marilyn Monroe’s death in 1962, Warhol used this image repeatedly in paintings and prints. Warhol, in these silkscreens from 1967, welcomed effects that commercial printers avoid, such as misalignment and jarring colors. In addition to embellishing the star quality of the deceased actress, such “errors” call attention to the medium itself, creating an unsettling perspective on ideal beauty.
Sydney and Frances Lewis gave these three prints, originally part of a set of twelve, to VMFA in 1969, the first of their many generous gifts that would follow.
"Works on Paper in Richmond Collections," Anderson Gallery, V.C.U., 22 July - 3 August 1980
"Contemporary Works from the Virginia Museum," Peninsula Arts Association, Newport News, 5 - 26 February 1979
"Encounter II: Color," Art-mobile exhibition, September 1972 - May 1975
Some object records are not complete and do not reflect VMFA's full and current knowledge. VMFA makes routine updates as records are reviewed and enhanced.