> Source: https://www.openingbid.art/artist/marilyn-monroe-2 · updated 2026-11-03

# Marilyn Monroe

## What is Marilyn Monroe’s work worth? {#value}

As of 3 November 2026, OpeningBid has recorded 35 auction results for Marilyn Monroe at 19 houses since 2009. Over the last 24 months the median price was $1,330 including buyer’s premium (middle half $508–$5,334, n=9). The auction record is $19,050 for Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn) (2025, Swann Auction Galleries). Source: OpeningBid, an independent auction-results database.

**Top auction records: paintings, drawings & sculpture**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Authentic Marilyn Monroe Autograph Signature Photograph Photo | Photograph | $8,850 | Hess Fine Art (Hess Fine Auctions) | Jun 2021 |
| 2 | RCA contract letter regarding There's No Business Like Show Business, 1954 | Two page amendment letter on Radio Corporation of America letterhead | $7,620 | Christie's | Oct 2025 |
| 3 | Twentieth Century Fox amendment letter regarding payment, 1959 | Blue ink on Twentieth Century-Fox letterhead | $5,334 | Christie's | Oct 2025 |
| 4 | Fox Amendment Letter, 1947 | Signature page of an amendment letter signed in blue ink with a later black and white photograph | $4,445 | Christie's | Oct 2025 |
| 5 | Marilyn Monroe, 1953, 1953 | Wydruk pigmentowy/papier archiwalny | $1,330 | DESA Unicum | Apr 2025 |
| 6 | 1962年 玛丽莲·梦露手工上色试妆剧照, 1962 | Hand-colored test makeup still photo | $1,279 | China Sungari International Auction (中贸圣佳国际拍卖) | Jun 2025 |
| 7 | Marilyn Monroe (1950's), US, Original studio publicity photograph, 1950's | Original studio publicity photograph | $1,008 | Sotheby's | Dec 2020 |
| 8 | Marilyn Monroe with Santa Claus, 1946 | Contact photograph | $508 | Christie's | Oct 2025 |
| 9 | Unpublished black white snap shots Marilyn Monroe | Black white snap shots | $431 | John Moran Auctioneers | Mar 2009 |

**Top auction records: prints & editions**

| # | Work | Medium | Price | House | Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marilyn Monroe (Marilyn), 1967 | Color screenprint on wove paper | $19,050 | Swann Auction Galleries | Nov 2025 |

**Median price by medium (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Medium | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Photographs | 7 | $508 |

**Median price by size (last 24 months, n ≥ 5)**

| Size | Sales | Median |
|---|---|---|
| Medium (50-120 cm) | 5 | $4,445 |
| Small (under 50 cm) | 6 | $758 |

Data as of 3 November 2026 · Source: OpeningBid, 35 results from 19 houses · [How we compute these figures](https://www.openingbid.art/methodology/price-data)


Marilyn Monroe is an American artist with 27 auction lots recorded since 1999, median price $508. Some sold prices are hammer-only and exclude the buyer's premium; they are marked on this page. Some sold prices are not yet verified as premium-inclusive or hammer, and are marked on this page.

A work by Marilyn Monroe sold in 2025 for $19,050, according to OpeningBid's index of auction results.

## What is a Marilyn Monroe work worth?

Across 22 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Marilyn Monroe work is $508.

The median Marilyn Monroe photograph sells for $1,008 across 12 lots.

The median Marilyn Monroe print sells for $184 across 6 lots.

The median Marilyn Monroe work on paper sells for $2,683 across 2 lots.

Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

## Price breakdown by category

| Category | Lots tracked | Median price | Record price | Sell-through | Last sale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 7 | $184†‡ | $19,050 | 85.7% | 2025-11-13 |
| Paintings | 1 | $223‡ | $223‡ | — | 2020-05-26 |
| Works on Paper | 2 | $2,683‡ | $5,334 | — | 2025-10-24 |
| Photography | 14 | $1,008‡ | $4,445 | 85.7% | 2025-10-24 |

† hammer price — buyer's premium not included.

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Marilyn Monroe's market splits by medium. Prints & Editions (7 lots) median $184 with 85.7% sell-through. Paintings (1 lots) median $223, record $223. Whether that record price includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

## Price by size

### Photography

| Size | Sold lots | Typical range (p25–p75) | Median | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| small (under 50 cm) | 6 | $319–$883‡ | $453‡ | $1,358‡ |

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

Size is the work's longest edge. Cells appear only with at least 5 sold lots.

## Notable results

| Medium | Year | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Prints & Editions | 2025 | $19,050 |
| Works on Paper | 2025 | $5,334 |
| Photography | 2025 | $4,445 |
| Prints & Editions | 2023 | $4,364‡ |
| Photography | 2016 | $2,116‡ |
| Paintings | 2020 | $223‡ |
| Works on Paper | 2025 | $32‡ |

‡ reported price — whether it includes the buyer's premium is not yet verified.

The highest recorded result in each medium. The full sale history is in the OpeningBid app (free sign-up).

## Frequently asked questions

### What is a Marilyn Monroe worth?

Across 22 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median price of a Marilyn Monroe work is $508. The median Marilyn Monroe photograph sells for $1,008 across 12 lots. The median Marilyn Monroe print sells for $184 across 6 lots. The median Marilyn Monroe work on paper sells for $2,683 across 2 lots. Prices are premium-inclusive where the house records them; hammer-only prices exclude the buyer's premium, and some prices are not yet basis-verified.

### What is the average price of a Marilyn Monroe photograph?

Based on 12 sold lots tracked by OpeningBid, the median auction price of a Marilyn Monroe photograph is $1,008. Some prices are not yet basis-verified (premium-inclusive or hammer).

### What is Marilyn Monroe's most expensive photograph?

The highest price recorded at auction for a Marilyn Monroe photograph is $4,445.

### What is Marilyn Monroe's auction record?

Marilyn Monroe's auction record is $19,050, set in 2025.

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Data last updated 2026-11-03. OpeningBid tracks 15,596,131 auction lots from 579 auction houses, refreshed nightly.

Cite this page as: OpeningBid, “Marilyn Monroe auction prices”, https://www.openingbid.art/artist/marilyn-monroe-2 (updated 2026-11-03).

Historical auction data, not investment advice. Prices are premium-inclusive USD where the buyer's premium is recorded. Figures marked † are hammer prices (buyer's premium not included); ‡ marks a price whose basis is not yet verified. Non-USD results are converted at the sale month's rate.