Why is the Marilyn Monroe portrait considered the most expensive painting of the 20th century, costing up to 4.5 trillion?

The 40-square-inch "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" is one of dozens of paintings legendary artist Andy Warhol did of Marilyn Monroe in the 1960s.

Described by experts as one of the rarest and most transcendental works of art in existence, the "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" portrait was once exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, the Center Pompidou in New York. Paris and Tate Modern in London. The painting is expected to go up for auction in New York this May.

Along with Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus", Da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" and Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon", Warhol's "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" is considered one of the most famous paintings. the greatest painting of all time and became the most valuable painting left at auction in the 20th century.

The painting will be auctioned in May 2022.

"Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" is artist Andy Warhol's colorful reproduction of Hollywood star Marilyn Monroe. The painting is also one of the iconic works for Andy Warhol's success.

Using a technique known as screen printing, which reproduces images on paper or canvas using a layer of fine mesh silk resembling stencils, Warhol began producing paintings in 1962, shortly after Monroe passed away.

As well as drawings of famous figures such as Elvis Presley, the artist created many versions of Monroe's portraits in a variety of colors and shapes.

In 1964, Warhol developed a new process that was more delicate and time-consuming, in contrast to the previous mass production of paintings. That year, he used a new process to create a limited number of portraits, making them extremely rare copies.

The current auction record for a Warhol work is held by "Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)," a painting depicting the aftermath of a road crash, after it sold for more than 105 million. USD nearly a decade ago.

Artist Andy Warhol with works about Marilyn Monroe.

Several other works of Warhol's Marilyn have also attracted big money at auctions in recent years, with a 1962 "White Marilyn" selling for $41 million in New York in 2014.

A handful of paintings have ever reached prices in excess of $200 million. The most remarkable feat must be mentioned the work "Salvator Mundi" by Leonardo da Vinci, sold in 2017 with the final sale price of more than 450 million USD (more than 10 trillion Vietnamese Dong).

The current auction record for a 20th-century painting is $179.4 million for Pablo Picasso's "Les Femmes d'Alger (Version O)" in 2015.

Expectations for Andy Warhol's "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" will be at least $200 million (4568 trillion Vietnam Dong). Proceeds will be used to fund health and education programs for children around the world.