How Much Is Four Marlons Worth?

Conclusion. Our current fair‑market value (auction, premium‑inclusive) for Andy Warhol’s Four Marlons (1966) is $90–110 million. The work’s most recent public benchmark is the Christie’s New York sale on 12 November 2014, where it realized $69,605,000 with fees [1]. A simple CPI translation brings that figure into roughly the low‑to‑mid $90 million context in 2025–2026 dollars, before considering art‑market dynamics and the work’s qualitative strengths [5]. Given sustained global demand for prime 1960s Warhol “trophies,” a range modestly above the inflation‑adjusted anchor is defensible.

Closest comparables. The tightest analog is Warhol’s Triple Elvis [Ferus Type], another large, multi‑image male celebrity portrait sold in the very same 2014 Christie’s evening sale for $81,925,000 (fees incl.) [6]. In terms of subject, repetition, scale, and market profile, Four Marlons is directly comparable; its raw, unprimed linen support and relative rarity among major Brando multiples justify parity to a slight premium in today’s conditions.

Recent trophy calibration. At the top end, Warhol’s category ceiling was reset by Shot Sage Blue Marilyn at $195,000,000 in 2022 [3]. While Marilyns command a singular premium, White Disaster (White Car Crash 19 Times) reached $85,350,500 later that year, demonstrating active competition for A++ 1960s canvases in the high‑$80m to low‑$90m band [4]. These prices bracket Four Marlons as a top‑tier (if non‑Marilyn) icon with credible headroom above its inflation‑adjusted 2014 benchmark.

Qualitative drivers. Four Marlons combines nearly all attributes prized by the market: a prime‑period, large‑scale canvas; an A‑list Hollywood subject (Brando in The Wild One); serial repetition; and the sought‑after raw‑linen execution of the mid‑1960s. Its pedigree is elite—passing through Bischofberger, Sperone, and Thomas Ammann—and it has an extensive exhibition record, including the 2001–02 Warhol retrospective circuit (Neue Nationalgalerie/Tate/MOCA LA) [2]. These factors support positioning alongside the best non‑Marilyn celebrity icons.

Market context and risk. After a 2023–24 slowdown at the very high end, bidding has been selective but decisive for singular, high‑quality Pop trophies; a strong 1964 Flowers reached $35.5m in 2024, underscoring continued appetite for prime‑period imagery [7]. For Four Marlons, estimate placement, third‑party guarantee competition, and sale choreography could pull the result toward the midpoint or top of the range. Downside risks include adverse macro sentiment or same‑season supply of an equivalently important 1960s celebrity or Disaster canvas.

Mechanics and next steps. The indicated price band implies a hammer of roughly $80–95m under current premium schedules. A current condition report with high‑resolution imaging and confirmation of conservation history, together with real‑time guidance from the major houses on estimate strategy and guarantee interest, would refine this band further [1][2].