1967 Marilyn set by WARHOL
Except otherwise stated, all results include the premium.
See also : Prints
See also : Prints
Here is a summary of the top realized prices at auction for complete sets of Andy Warhol’s iconic Marilyn Monroe portfolio (1967, Feldman & Schellmann II.22–31). This portfolio comprises ten screenprints in colors (each 36 x 36 in. / 91.4 x 91.4 cm), published by Factory Additions in an edition of 250 plus 26 artist’s proofs (lettered A–Z). Each print is typically signed in pencil on the reverse and stamp-numbered.
Complete matching-number sets in good condition with the original box are exceptionally rare today, as many portfolios were broken up for individual sales. Public auction records for intact sets are limited compared to single prints, and comprehensive ranked data is not always publicly detailed with every serial number.
The method used by Andy Warhol of mixing painting and silkscreen on canvas was effective for the multiplication of images. However there is much more simple and the solution has been known for centuries : printing on paper. He coined the name Factory Additions as the publisher of his prints.
The first released set is Marilyn, in 1967, in a single format 91 x 91 cm. The set of ten is made of the single image reappropriated from a 1953 film advertisement that Andy had famously used in 1962 as the symbol of the demise of the American dream.
Each one of the ten images displays other combinations of intense flat colors, departing various moods from the original glamorous image. Andy also enhanced the emotional effects by changing the alignment of some screens.
The Marilyn set was edited in 250 copies numbered 1 to 250 and 26 artist's proofs numbered A to Z.
Evolution of Marilyn's image by Warhol from the "Flavor Marilyns" (12 paintings, 1962) to the 250 portfolios of 10 prints (1967).
Andy Warhol's engagement with Marilyn Monroe's image began intensely in 1962, shortly after her death on August 5, using a 1953 publicity still from the film Niagara. This marked his early mastery of silkscreening, shifting from hand-painted works to mechanical reproduction for an "assembly-line effect."
The "Flavor Marilyns" (1962)
The "Flavor Marilyns" refer to a series of approximately 12 single-portrait paintings (sometimes cited as 8–12 core works, often nicknamed after candy flavors like Lemon, Cherry, Mint, Blue, Orange, etc.). These featured Monroe's face against bold, monochromatic or limited-color backgrounds, with hand-applied acrylic paint alongside silkscreen ink.
The 1967 Portfolio
By 1967, Warhol revisited the same source photo for his first major print portfolio, published through Factory Additions (his new company for editions). This consisted of 10 distinct color screenprints (each 36 × 36 inches), in an edition of 250 signed and numbered portfolios (plus artist proofs), making 250 sets of the 10 prints.
These were pure screenprints on paper (no hand-painting), with deliberate off-register printing, garish psychedelic/Day-Glo colors, and intentional "mistakes" to mimic commercial production flaws. The cropping was tighter, filling the frame more dramatically with Monroe's face.This series marked a shift to commodified, mass-producible art—Warhol's icons now accessible as editions, emphasizing celebrity as a repeatable product.
Key Evolution
From 1962's experimental, unique paintings (raw, elegiac response to death, mixing handwork with new silkscreen) to 1967's polished, editioned prints (bolder, more artificial, commercialized immortality), Warhol refined his technique, embraced deliberate flaws for irony, and transformed Monroe from tragic icon into endlessly reproducible commodity—mirroring fame's mechanical, consumable nature in Pop Art's mature phase.
Complete matching-number sets in good condition with the original box are exceptionally rare today, as many portfolios were broken up for individual sales. Public auction records for intact sets are limited compared to single prints, and comprehensive ranked data is not always publicly detailed with every serial number.
The method used by Andy Warhol of mixing painting and silkscreen on canvas was effective for the multiplication of images. However there is much more simple and the solution has been known for centuries : printing on paper. He coined the name Factory Additions as the publisher of his prints.
The first released set is Marilyn, in 1967, in a single format 91 x 91 cm. The set of ten is made of the single image reappropriated from a 1953 film advertisement that Andy had famously used in 1962 as the symbol of the demise of the American dream.
Each one of the ten images displays other combinations of intense flat colors, departing various moods from the original glamorous image. Andy also enhanced the emotional effects by changing the alignment of some screens.
The Marilyn set was edited in 250 copies numbered 1 to 250 and 26 artist's proofs numbered A to Z.
Evolution of Marilyn's image by Warhol from the "Flavor Marilyns" (12 paintings, 1962) to the 250 portfolios of 10 prints (1967).
Andy Warhol's engagement with Marilyn Monroe's image began intensely in 1962, shortly after her death on August 5, using a 1953 publicity still from the film Niagara. This marked his early mastery of silkscreening, shifting from hand-painted works to mechanical reproduction for an "assembly-line effect."
The "Flavor Marilyns" (1962)
The "Flavor Marilyns" refer to a series of approximately 12 single-portrait paintings (sometimes cited as 8–12 core works, often nicknamed after candy flavors like Lemon, Cherry, Mint, Blue, Orange, etc.). These featured Monroe's face against bold, monochromatic or limited-color backgrounds, with hand-applied acrylic paint alongside silkscreen ink.
The 1967 Portfolio
By 1967, Warhol revisited the same source photo for his first major print portfolio, published through Factory Additions (his new company for editions). This consisted of 10 distinct color screenprints (each 36 × 36 inches), in an edition of 250 signed and numbered portfolios (plus artist proofs), making 250 sets of the 10 prints.
These were pure screenprints on paper (no hand-painting), with deliberate off-register printing, garish psychedelic/Day-Glo colors, and intentional "mistakes" to mimic commercial production flaws. The cropping was tighter, filling the frame more dramatically with Monroe's face.This series marked a shift to commodified, mass-producible art—Warhol's icons now accessible as editions, emphasizing celebrity as a repeatable product.
Key Evolution
From 1962's experimental, unique paintings (raw, elegiac response to death, mixing handwork with new silkscreen) to 1967's polished, editioned prints (bolder, more artificial, commercialized immortality), Warhol refined his technique, embraced deliberate flaws for irony, and transformed Monroe from tragic icon into endlessly reproducible commodity—mirroring fame's mechanical, consumable nature in Pop Art's mature phase.
242/250
2025 SOLD for € 4.5M by Ketterer Kunst
Ketterer Kunst (December 2025)
- Serial Number: 242/250 (each print signed and stamp-numbered on the reverse; complete matching set).
- Auction House: Ketterer Kunst (Munich).
- Detailed Date: 5 December 2025 (Evening Sale, Sale 600).
- Lot Number: 39.
- Realized Price: €4,488,000 (approximately $5,161,200 including buyer’s premium/surcharge). This was a top lot of the sale and set a record for a complete Marilyn print portfolio at the time. Provenance: German corporate collection (acquired in the 1980s). Printed by Aetna Silkscreen Products, Inc.
27/250
2022 SOLD for $ 4.4M by Sotheby's
The complete set 27/250 was sold for $ 4.4M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M by Sotheby's on November 17, 2022, lot 623.
239/250
2024 SOLD for $ 3.7M by Christie's
The complete set 239/250 was sold for $ 3.7M by Christie's on May 17, 2024, lot 135, with proceeds going to family care and homeless charities.
composite
2022 SOLD for $ 3.4M by Sotheby's
A set of ten 1967 Marilyns of which six are dated and one is stamp numbered 135/250 was sold for $ 3.4M from a lower estimate of $ 2.5M by Sotheby's on October 27, 2022, lot 18.
100/250
2021 SOLD for $ 3.05M by Sotheby's
The complete set 100/250 was sold for $ 3.05M from a lower estimate of $ 2M by Sotheby's on May 12, 2021, lot 126. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
The framed prints were hanging since 1969 in the apartment of their first owner. She had purchased it directly to Andy's associate David Whitney, who had overseen the production of the prints and had selected most of the colors. They are in very good condition with vibrant colors.
The framed prints were hanging since 1969 in the apartment of their first owner. She had purchased it directly to Andy's associate David Whitney, who had overseen the production of the prints and had selected most of the colors. They are in very good condition with vibrant colors.
135/250
2023 SOLD for $ 2.94M by Sotheby's
The complete set 135/250 was sold for $ 2.94M by Sotheby's on December 12, 2023, lot 507.
226/250
2013 SOLD for $ 2.46M by Christie's
The complete set 226/250 was sold for $ 2.46M from a lower estimate of $ 1.2M bt Christie's on November 13, 2013, lot 149.
96/250
2014 SOLD for $ 2.2M by Christie's
136/250
2015 SOLD for £ 1.5M by Sotheby's
Number 136/250 – Sotheby’s (2015)
- Serial Number: 136/250 (each print signed and stamp-numbered on the reverse; accompanied by the original stamp-numbered box).
- Auction House: Sotheby’s.
- Detailed Date: 15 October 2015 (Contemporary Art Evening Auction, London; sale L15024).
- Lot Number: 29.
- Realized Price: Sold for £ 1.5M against a lower estimate of £ 1M. The set was in very good condition overall with fresh colors, though with minor handling creases, edge wear, and occasional pigment loss noted in the catalogue. Provenance included a prior Christie’s London sale (4 February 2004, lot 5) and a European private collection. It had exhibition history at venues including Hamburg Kunsthalle and The Andy Warhol Museum.
26/250
2012 SOLD for $ 1.65M by Sotheby's
The complete portfolio 26/250 was sold for $ 1.65M by Sotheby's on November 2, 2012, lot 346.
Number 26/250 — Sotheby’s New York, Prints & Multiples, circa 2012 (lot 346). Realized $1.65 million (USD, including premium). Sold to a dealer; later resold privately. Noted for provenance and condition
Number 26/250 — Sotheby’s New York, Prints & Multiples, circa 2012 (lot 346). Realized $1.65 million (USD, including premium). Sold to a dealer; later resold privately. Noted for provenance and condition
