Marilyn Monroe Sculpture
1980s Minimalist Abstract Prints
Lithograph, Offset
Early 2000s Nude Sculptures
Plywood
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Found Objects, Plastic, Wood
2010s Pop Art Figurative Sculptures
Found Objects, Plastic, Wood
1980s Realist Figurative Sculptures
Resin
1990s Op Art Portrait Prints
Screen
1960s Modern Black and White Photography
Black and White
Marilyn Monroe Sculpture For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Marilyn Monroe Sculpture?
A Close Look at Pop Art Art
Perhaps one of the most influential contemporary art movements, Pop art emerged in the 1950s. In stark contrast to traditional artistic practice, its practitioners drew on imagery from popular culture — comic books, advertising, product packaging and other commercial media — to create original Pop art paintings, prints and sculptures that celebrated ordinary life in the most literal way.
ORIGINS OF POP ART
- Started in Britain in the 1950s, flourished in 1960s-era America
- “This is Tomorrow,” at London's Whitechapel Gallery in 1956, was reportedly the first Pop art exhibition
- A reaction to postwar mass consumerism
- Transitioning away from Abstract Expressionism
- Informed by neo-Dada and artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg; influenced postmodernism and Photorealism
CHARACTERISTICS OF POP ART
- Bold imagery
- Bright, vivid colors
- Straightforward concepts
- Engagement with popular culture
- Incorporation of everyday objects from advertisements, cartoons, comic books and other popular mass media
POP ARTISTS TO KNOW
- Richard Hamilton
- Andy Warhol
- Marta Minujín
- Claes Oldenburg
- Eduardo Paolozzi
- Rosalyn Drexler
- James Rosenquist
- Peter Blake
- Roy Lichtenstein
ORIGINAL POP ART ON 1STDIBS
The Pop art movement started in the United Kingdom as a reaction, both positive and critical, to the period’s consumerism. Its goal was to put popular culture on the same level as so-called high culture.
Richard Hamilton’s 1956 collage Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing? is widely believed to have kickstarted this unconventional new style.
Pop art works are distinguished by their bold imagery, bright colors and seemingly commonplace subject matter. Practitioners sought to challenge the status quo, breaking with the perceived elitism of the previously dominant Abstract Expressionism and making statements about current events. Other key characteristics of Pop art include appropriation of imagery and techniques from popular and commercial culture; use of different media and formats; repetition in imagery and iconography; incorporation of mundane objects from advertisements, cartoons and other popular media; hard edges; and ironic and witty treatment of subject matter.
Although British artists launched the movement, they were soon overshadowed by their American counterparts. Pop art is perhaps most closely identified with American Pop artist Andy Warhol, whose clever appropriation of motifs and images helped to transform the artistic style into a lifestyle. Most of the best-known American artists associated with Pop art started in commercial art (Warhol made whimsical drawings as a hobby during his early years as a commercial illustrator), a background that helped them in merging high and popular culture.
Roy Lichtenstein was another prominent Pop artist that was active in the United States. Much like Warhol, Lichtenstein drew his subjects from print media, particularly comic strips, producing paintings and sculptures characterized by primary colors, bold outlines and halftone dots, elements appropriated from commercial printing. Recontextualizing a lowbrow image by importing it into a fine-art context was a trademark of his style. Neo-Pop artists like Jeff Koons and Takashi Murakami further blurred the line between art and popular culture.
Pop art rose to prominence largely through the work of a handful of men creating works that were unemotional and distanced — in other words, stereotypically masculine. However, there were many important female Pop artists, such as Rosalyn Drexler, whose significant contributions to the movement are recognized today. Best known for her work as a playwright and novelist, Drexler also created paintings and collages embodying Pop art themes and stylistic features.
Read more about the history of Pop art and the style’s famous artists, and browse the collection of original Pop art paintings, prints, photography and other works for sale on 1stDibs.
- Who painted Marilyn Monroe?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021The famous Pop art Marilyn Monroe diptych silkscreen painting was created by artist Andy Warhol. The piece is one of his most famous and was sold in 1998 for $17.3 million. Find Andy Warhol paintings and other works for sale on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The iconic white dress Marilyn Monroe wore in the film “The Seven Year Itch” doesn’t have a specific name. It is a white ivory cocktail dress with a halter-like bodice, deep v-neckline and pleated skirt. Shop a selection of classic movie memorabilia on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024Many photographers took pictures of Marilyn Monroe. Gene Korman, a photographer employed by 20th Century Fox, captured the image that Andy Warhol used as the basis for his Marilyn Diptych. In 1954, Sam Shaw snapped the famous photograph of Monroe holding her blowing skirt while standing on Lexington Avenue at 52nd Street in New York City. On 1stDibs, find a large selection of photographic art.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 16, 2024How much a Marilyn Monroe painting is worth varies based on its artist, size, history, condition and other factors. Andy Warhol is arguably the artist most famous for painting Monroe. In 2022, one of his Marilyn Monroe portraits sold for $195 million at auction, setting a new record price for works produced by an American artist. Another painting that depicts Monroe — the Boulevard of Broken Dreams, painted by Gottfried Helnwein — sold for more than $120,000 in 2017. If you own a painting of Marilyn Monroe, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable art dealer can help you determine its potential value. Shop a wide range of portrait paintings on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 7, 2024Yes, Bob Mackie designed for Marilyn Monroe. Notably, the American fashion designer was responsible for creating the slinky gown that the actress wore when she sang "Happy Birthday" to then-president John F. Kennedy in 1962. Mackie also produced dresses for celebrities such as Lucille Ball, Carol Channing, Cher, Doris Day, Marlene Dietrich and Farrah Fawcett. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Bob Mackie apparel.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 23, 2024Marilyn Monroe's pink dress wasn't called anything in particular when it debuted in 1953. However, some people now call it the "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" dress, after the name of the film in which she sported the strapless pink piece. Others refer to it as the pink Travilla dress in honor of the man who designed it, William Travilla. On 1stDibs, find a large selection of vintage dresses from some of the world's top boutiques.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024William Travilla designed Marilyn Monroe's pink dress. The iconic strapless dress appeared in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. An accomplished costume designer, Travilla won an Academy Award for his work on the 1948 film The Adventures of Don Juan and was nominated for Oscars three more times across his career. Explore a variety of William Travilla apparel on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertAugust 8, 2024William Travilla designed Marilyn Monroe's white dress. The actress wore the now-iconic dress in the 1955 film The Seven Year Itch. A celebrated costume designer, Travilla also created dresses for seven other Monroe films, including How to Marry a Millionaire and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In recognition of his work, the designer was nominated for several Academy and Emmy awards, and he won an Oscar for the costumes featured in the 1948 film Adventures of Don Juan. Explore a range of William Travilla apparel on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 21, 2024Andy Warhol painted Marilyn Monroe as a commentary on the media and celebrity culture. The American artist was quick to jump on mass media’s penchant for treating glamour and tragedy with equal weight. Monroe’s suicidal overdose in 1962 was ideal fodder, and he reproduced her visage dozens of times, first painting the canvas with splotches of pigment to denote her hair, eyeshadow and lips, then printing the black photographic silkscreen, taken from a 1953 publicity still, on the surface, either alone, doubled or repeated in a grid. By reproducing her image, Warhol sought to show how Monroe's fame and status as a sex symbol transformed her from being an individual person to a mass-market commodity. His work provided a sharp rebuke to the media's obsessive intrusion into the lives of celebrities. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Andy Warhol art.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 9, 2024How much Marilyn Monroe's pink dress is worth today isn't fully known. In 2010, the iconic strapless dress the starlet wore in the 1953 film Gentlemen Prefer Blondes sold for around $370,000. If it were to return to auction, it may sell for even more. In 2024, a much less famous pink dress that Monroe sported for a Vogue photoshoot with photographer Bert Stern sold for $325,000. Find a large collection of vintage and contemporary dresses on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022In 1967, Andy Warhol began publishing a series of screen prints through his printing company, Factory Additions. Using a publicity image of Marilyn Monroe, Warhol printed 10 images from five screens: one was the original photograph and four others emphasized different areas of color to reflect Monroe’s vibrant personality. Browse a selection of Andy Warhol art, prints and photos from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 16, 2024Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe is worth around $195 million. That's how much the silk-screen portrait sold for at an auction in 2022. The sale made history, as the price tag was a new record for the American Pop artist. Warhol's Marilyn series sought to critique society's fixation with glamor and fame, themes he returned to many times during his career. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Andy Warhol art.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe piece called the Marilyn Diptych. Warhol created the silkscreen painting in 1962 weeks after she died. It includes 50 images of the starlet in color and black and white. Find a variety of Andy Warhol art on 1stDibs.
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