The first batch, by American conceptual artist Mike Biddle, “Not Picasso (Bathing with a Beach Ball”), valued at $ 60,000 to $ 80,000, was for $ 1.3 million in royalties.
Collector Peter Brant, sitting in the third row, bought the third lot, Fourteen Stations, No. XI ”by Francesco Clemente for $ 1.9 million, above an estimate of $ 80,000 to $ 120,000. Dealer Larry Gagosyan then bought a blue, green and purple painting of Cy Twombly on a wood panel for about $ 17 million, above the high estimate of $ 15 million.
By comparison, Marilyn’s silk film – which Rother recently called “the most significant painting of the 20th century to be auctioned in a generation” – felt like something of an anti-culmination. Yes, he set a record, but speculation before the auction made the picture rise to as much as $ 400 million. Instead, the auctioneer seemed to distort the bids, with the painting eventually going to Gagosyan; it was not clear on whose behalf he was bidding.
“The expectation was very, very, very high,” said art adviser Abigail Usher. “It was an incredibly good price, but at the same time I believe that the buyer has made a deal. This is one of the icons of art of the 20th century. ”
Warhol’s painting, one of five in the series, is based on a promotional photo from the Niagara actress’ film, part of a series of portraits of “Marilyn Shot Shot.” In 1964, a woman entered the studio of Warhol’s Factory with a pistol and shot a pile of four Marilyn paintings. (The canvas offered for auction at Christie’s was not pierced by the bullet.)
The Amman brothers and sisters bought the work from media mogul SI Newhouse Jr. in 1998; that same year, Newhouse bought Warhol’s Orange Marilyn (1964) from Sotheby’s for $ 17.3 million. After Newhouse’s death in 2017, billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin bought the job privately for about $ 200 million.
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