Four Marlons Auction History

Provenance: Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich → Gian Enzo Sperone, Turin → Thomas Ammann Fine Art, Zurich → acquired by Westdeutsche Spielbanken (WestSpiel) in 1978 [1][5]. An official NRW Landtag document records WestSpiel’s late‑1970s purchase cost for Four Marlons as $100,000 [4].

Subsequent history: Displayed for decades at Spielbank Aachen and loaned to major Warhol retrospectives (Neue Nationalgalerie; Tate Modern; MOCA Los Angeles) [1][6]. Sold at Christie’s New York on November 12, 2014, for $69,605,000 (incl. premium); buyer anonymous. The work has remained in a private collection since the sale [2].

Market significance: The $69,605,000 price achieved by Four Marlons at Christie’s New York on November 12, 2014, came during a record‑setting evening that totaled $852,887,000—then the highest total for any auction—and included Warhol’s Triple Elvis at $81,925,000 [2][3]. The lot carried a house guarantee, underscoring the auction house’s confidence in demand for prime 1960s Warhols; the work’s medium (silkscreen on raw linen) and iconic Brando subject align with top‑tier Warhol market preferences [1][2].

Pricewise, the result placed Four Marlons at the top end of non‑Marilyn Warhols of the era: earlier in 2014, Warhol’s four‑panel Race Riot made $62,885,000 at Christie’s [11]. It sat below the artist’s then‑record Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster) at $105,445,000 (Sotheby’s, 2013) [8]. Subsequent benchmarks have further illuminated its level: Shot Sage Blue Marilyn realized $195,040,000 at Christie’s in 2022—the highest auction price for a 20th‑century artwork—while White Disaster (White Car Crash 19 Times) made $85,350,500 at Sotheby’s in 2022, affirming sustained depth for prime 1960s Warhols [9][10].

Provenance and display: The painting’s institutional provenance—acquired in 1978 by Westdeutsche Spielbanken for $100,000 and long displayed at Spielbank Aachen—adds notable exhibition history and visibility prior to sale [4][6]. The move from a state‑owned casino collection to an anonymous private buyer reflects the broader shift of blue‑chip Pop Art into private hands during the 2010s, even as museum‑caliber works continue to anchor record evening sales [2][3].