Marilyn Sunset

Category

Technique

Date

Dimensions

Signature

Proof(s) of authenticity

State of conservation

Framing

Location

Description

"Marilyn Sunset" is a striking screenprint portrait by Shepard Fairey, based on intimate photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken in 1956 by renowned photographer Milton H. Greene. Combining glamour and vulnerability, the work offers a nuanced interpretation of one of modern culture’s most iconic figures through Fairey’s unmistakable visual language.

Marilyn Monroe has fascinated me since I was a child. I must have been about ten years old when I asked my father, “Why is Marilyn Monroe so famous?” He replied something like, “Well, she embodied American beauty and hope. She shone brightly, but she tragically died young.” Intrigued, I watched Marilyn’s movies whenever they came on TV. Seeing her on screen, I was mesmerized by her charm, her humor, and her vulnerability. I might not have been able to express it clearly at the time, but Marilyn possessed a magnetic range and depth that captivated me. Later, in high school, I became interested in pop art, and one of the most famous series of images in that genre is Andy Warhol’s portraits of Marilyn. Warhol’s Marilyns are stunning in their use of color and perfectly achieve his goal: reducing her to an iconic yet impersonal, high-contrast representation. However, this iconic glamour is only one facet of Marilyn.

PRINT DETAILS

Paper: 80# Cream Speckletone

Signature: Hand-signed by Shepard Fairey

Edition: Numbered edition of 500

Print size: 24 × 18 in / 61 × 45.7 cm

Image source: Original artwork based on a photograph by Milton H. Greene