What Warhol’s Marilyn tells us about the art market

Last month, Andy Warhol's "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" sold for $195mn, making it the second most expensive piece of art to sell at auction, ever. And as prices keep going up, the art market — auction houses, gallerists, dealers, collectors — want to keep it that way. On the heels of a ‘stonking’ art season, we invite two heavy hitters into the studio to walk us through it: arts editor Jan Dalley and art market columnist Melanie Gerlis. Then, Christie's head of 20th- and 21st-century art, Alex Rotter, pulls back the curtain on these record-breaking sales.

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Want to say hi? We love hearing from you. Email us at ftweekendpodcast@ft.com. We’re on Twitter @ftweekendpod, and Lilah is on Instagram and Twitter @lilahrap. 

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Links and mentions from the episode: 

– Melanie’s article ‘Art Basel’s Swiss fair defies gloomy economy with soaring sales’: https://on.ft.com/3QtSagn 

– Melanie’s auction season roundup: https://on.ft.com/38jn363 

– Columnist John Gapper on how ‘The art market cannot get enough Andy Warhol Marilyns’: https://on.ft.com/3O3GeAm 

– Jan’s most recent art column, on whether we should send art back to Russia: https://on.ft.com/3OeLzF2 

– Robert Armstrong’s profile of Larry Gagosian: https://on.ft.com/3IfT0sD 

– Melanie’s books are called The Art Fair Story and Art as an Investment? 

– Melanie is on Twitter @mgerlis, and Alex is on Instagram @rottweilernyc.

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Original music by Metaphor Music. Mixing and sound design by Breen Turner and Sam Giovinco.

Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com

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