Andy Warhol | TRIPLE ELVIS & FOUR MARLONS

ACQUIRED IN THE 1970S BY THE GERMAN WESTDEUTSCHE SPIELBANKEN GMBH & CO. KG,

TO HIGHLIGHT CHRISTIE’S NEW YORK POST-WAR & CONTEMPORARY ART EVENING SALE IN NOVEMBER

Christie’s is delighted to present for the first time at auction, the three greatest cultural icons of the 20^th century reunited, representing the ultimate heroes of art, music and cinema. Two iconic portraits by Andy Warhol featuring the towering figures of Elvis Presley and Marlon Brandon, the most important male celebrities in Warhol’s pantheon of stars, which epitomize the archetype of cool and glamour and exude a raw sexuality and intense power rarely found in his work. Christie’s will present these paintings on tour in Asia, Europe and US—probably the first time that the international public will have the opportunity to admire these two incredible portraits side by side—before being sold at auction in New York on November 12^th. Together Triple Elvis [Ferus Type] and Four Marlons are expected to realize in the region of $130 million.

“As such complementary examples of Warhol Superstars, – sharing the same large scale, extreme rarity and supreme quality, there is a strong possibility after the record breaking price achieved for the Bacon triptych a year ago, that our top masterpiece buyers will try to acquire both portraits and keep them as a unique pair. Many will make their own choice over favoring Elvis or Marlon. It is going to be a battle of the greatest super heroes ever, where in the end, someone could buy both. Unseen on the market for almost 40 years, these masterworks represent the greatest icons of the 20^th century and Warhol’s career,” stated Brett Gorvy, Chairman and International Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art.

“The sale of these two art works by Andy Warhol will allow us to continue pursuing our existing gambling offerings to the population of North-Rhine Westphalia and to meet the challenges ahead. This is why we we’ve decided to sell both masterpieces. Given the current strength of the market, especially for works by Andy Warhol, it is now the right moment to part from these works, which had been acquired for decorative purposes of our casino in Aachen in the late 1970s,” explained Lothar Dunkel, Managing Director of WestSpiel.

The arrival on the market of Triple Elvis [Ferus Type] and Four Marlons, the two greatest icons of the 20^th century culture, never seen at auction before, is an exceptional and unique opportunity for collectors and institutions to acquire iconic masterpieces. In recent seasons, Christie’s has achieved unprecedented heights for contemporary art of this exceptional quality, due in large part to a surge of interest from buyers in both established and growth markets. Warhol stands among the most coveted of these artists, and Christie’s is honored to be the market authority for the artist and maintain an exclusive partnership with the Andy Warhol Foundation. Over the last decade, Christie’s has set the highest prices for works by Warhol at auction and within the private sales sector, including most recently the sale of Warhol’s Race Riot for $62.9 million, far exceeding its pre-sale estimate of $45 million, and for White Marilyn, another iconic portrait, which fetched $41 million above its pre-sale estimate of $12 – $18 million.

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