This Andy Warhol portrait of Marilyn is featured in a new exhibition, Colour: A season of shades, tints & tones, at Tullie in Carlisle, Cumbria until January 25, 2026.
“What is colour? Why does it mean different things in different cultures and times? And how has colour been linked to power, value, and even prejudice?
From the deep blues of religious art to the fiery reds of political movements, colour is more than just something we see – it’s something we feel, use, and sometimes even smell. Colour: A season of shades, tints & tones dives into this fascinating world, revealing how colour influences our beliefs, our identity, and our reality.
Expect works from Wassily Kandinsky, Andy Warhol and Hokusai, alongside the beguiling plumage of the ruby-topaz hummingbird and more everyday uses of colour from cosmetics to Cadbury’s purple.
Packed with interactive displays, vibrant objects, and thought-provoking exhibits, this is a chance to see colour in all its glory – and rethink everything you thought you knew about it. Come and be surprised by the spectrum of possibilities!”
Entitled ‘Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn) F&S II.28‘ and measuring 36 x 36 inches, the silkscreen print is part of a limited edition set of 250 produced at Factory Additions, New York, in 1967.
Andy Warhol’s image was based on a black-and-white photograph shot by Gene Kornman in 1952 and used by Twentieth Century-Fox to promote Marilyn’s ‘femme fatale’ role in the upcoming Technicolor Noir’, Niagara.
Warhol added crop marks to the photo in process, removing Marilyn’s face from her body. His lavish use of colour disrupts the artifice of Hollywood glamour, transforming Marilyn’s parted lips and half-closed eyelids into facets of a modern enigma.
The Marilyn Report 