Artwork of Warhol: Larry Gagosian paid record-breaking $195 million for a Marilyn Monroe portrait he as soon as offered in 1986.
Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Photos
At 77, the mega-art vendor generally known as Go-Go exhibits no indicators of stopping.
When the gavel got here down Monday night at Christie’s for Andy Warhol’s 1964 portrait of Marilyn Monroe, the $195 million worth broke a number of public sale data, together with a brand new excessive for the Pop grasp himself. Like Warhol and Monroe, the client, artwork vendor Larry Gagosian, can be a well-recognized face.
“Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” is the now costliest twentieth century paintings ever to promote at public sale, and likewise broke data for an American artist and is the second costliest piece of artwork ever offered at public sale, in accordance with Christie’s.
The 77-year-old Gagosian made the successful $195 million bid (together with charges) within the New York salesroom himself, nevertheless it’s unclear if he bought the work personally or for certainly one of his rich purchasers, together with billionaire mega collectors corresponding to David Geffen, Leon Black, Steve Cohen and Leonard Lauder. Gagosian’s representatives declined to remark to Forbes aside from confirming the vendor did buy the Marilyn portrait.
Pop Goes the Costs: Warhol’s ‘Shot Sage Blue Marilyn’ set a report for an American artist.
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An artwork world titan for many years, Gagosian has 19 eponymous galleries from New York to Hong Kong, and is extensively believed to surpass 9 figures in annual gross sales. (In 2019, when GQ requested Gagosian if he was the primary “billion-dollar vendor,” he replied, “I do not know … however that sounds like too much to me.”) As he nears his ninth decade, the vendor famously generally known as Go-Go exhibits no indicators of stopping.
Gagosian’s entry within the artwork market was a great distance off from a $195 million portray. He started within the Seventies by selling poster prints of ocean views out of a car parking zone in Los Angeles for $20 apiece, earlier than influential New York artwork vendor Leo Castelli took him beneath his wing. Castelli was generally known as the “Prince of Pop Artwork” and represented many artists who outlined the period, together with Jasper Johns, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella—and Warhol.
By 1980, Gagosian opened his first gallery in Los Angeles, the place he offered works by up-and-coming artists corresponding to Jean-Michael Basquiat. Gagosian would go on to characterize a number of the greatest artists on this planet, together with Warhol and Cy Twombly, Willem de Kooning, Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, who left Gagosian’s elite roster final yr.
He quickly made a reputation for himself with exhibitions that rivaled those of major museums, and plenty of within the artwork world credit score (and blame) him for serving to ship costs into the stratosphere. His larger-than-life affect has additionally expanded into popular culture. Famous Basquiat fan Jay-Z even name-dropped the dealer in a 2010 track with Kanye West— “Name Larry Gagosian, you belong in museums.”
Pupil and Grasp: Gagosian along with his mentor, artwork vendor Leo Castelli, in 1999.
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And in a full circle worthy of Jasper Johns, Gagosian as soon as offered the very Marilyn portrait he purchased this week. In 1986, the late Swiss collector Thomas Ammann bought “Shot Sage Blue Marilyn” from Gagosian. Monday’s public sale was a charity sale of Thomas and his sister Doris Ammann’s private artwork assortment. The public sale proceeds benefited the Ammanns’ eponymous basis that helps youngsters’s charities. (Christie’s mentioned that as a result of the inspiration is predicated in Switzerland, an American purchaser wouldn’t have the ability to declare the acquisition of the Marilyn as a charity tax write-off).
It stays to be seen if the record-breaking buy indicators a brand new period for Gagosian, who has all the time stored his roster of artists contemporary to enchantment to youthful consumers, who’re investing in artwork at growing charges. Final week, Gagosian introduced it had signed Anna Weyant, a 27-year-old painter who’s the youngest artist to affix his artwork empire. (The 2 are additionally rumored to be dating.) In March, the gallery additionally introduced it might start accepting cryptocurrency funds in bitcoin, regardless of Gagosian’s initial hesitation. Then once more, staying agile is a key to longevity. When requested about his future plans by WSJ a couple of years in the past, he laughed and declared: “Gagosian goes to go on forever!”
