Warhol’s Marilyn Monroe diptych is a post modern altarpiece. A diptych is a two-paneled piece. Traditionally, diptychs would be associated with religious artworks. Specifically Christian works. They often conveyed stories of the lives of saints or they were portraits of significant religious figures. A diptych would be a portable altarpiece, hinged so that the artwork could be closed off and protected. Andy Warhol, much like Marilyn Monroe and this portrait, was filled with seeming contradictions. There was a bright public persona, but simultaneously, the artist could be closed off and guarded. Warhol was known to revel in fame and he was a fixture of the New York club scene in places like studio 54, while simultaneously he remained a devout Catholic attending mass regularly and living with his mother. He took care of her and lived with her for most of his life. 

In this portrait, we see Marilyn Monroe presented in the format typically associated with religious artworks. This work was created just a few weeks after Monroe’s untimely death. She is an icon of pop culture. A face that graced the pages of every magazine and tabloid. She was a young girl, Norma Jean who had been plucked from obscurity and celebrated around the world for her beauty, but outside of public view, she struggled with her mental health, failed relationships and substance abuse. She was a martyr of the common culture’s celebrity worship. In Warhol’s diptych, we see 50 repetitions of her famous face. On one panel, there is shockingly bold underpainting creating a cartoonish appearance. On the other we see 25 black and white copies of the same shadows and contours but without the garish color. There are varying degrees of intensity. Some over-saturated with black and others fading to the ghost of an image. And yet, with all of these, we never see the real Marilyn. We see only copies of a publicity still. The image of a star at the height of her fame and beauty. Frozen in time and sent out for others to see and appreciate. The image prime for reproduction and distortion. For the artist and audience to project and see as they wish.

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