Warhol was fascinated, even obsessed, with Hollywood celebrities, especially that rare species that transcended actual fame and were able to secure a place in popular culture. But Warhol was particularly captivated by the combination of that very celebrity and tragedy, a theme that runs through his entire oeuvre.
When actress Marylin Monroe took her own life on August 4, 1962, Warhol began making her portrait. For this purpose, he reproduced a publicity photograph of her that had been taken in the course of the film production "Niagara" in 1953. During her lifetime, Marilyn Monroe embodied the cult of celebrity, beauty, and Hollywood glamour - but after her untimely demise, she embodied loneliness, tragedy, and the unfulfilled promise of the American dream.
The photograph shows Marilyn Monroe, who had long since become an idol, but Warhol turned her into an uber-icon and his interpretation of her portrait became one of the most famous images in art history.
In 1966, Warhol and art dealer David Whitney began publishing print portfolios under the name Factory Additions, featuring some of his most famous subjects, including Marilyn, Campbell's Soup, and Flowers.
The present work was created in 1967 to announce the publication of the Marilyn Portfolio.
