Christie's combines three of the greatest cultural icons of the 20th century in one auction this November 12 in New York, as it offers Andy Warhol's depictions of Elvis Presley and Marlon Brando.
 Warhol's biggest stars were bought in the 1970s, and have never been seen on the market until now |
The two works, Triple Elvis and Four Marlons, are expected to realise a combined $130m, with neither seen at auction for almost 40 years.
"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," stated Brett Gorvy, chairman and international head of post-war and contemporary art.
"Unseen on the market for almost 40 years, these masterworks represent the greatest icons of the 20th century and Warhol's career."
Eight Elvises, another of Warhol's prints of Elvis Presley, sold for $100m in 2008 in a private sale, making it one of the most valuable artworks ever sold.
The current auction record for Warhol's work is held by Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster), which made $105.7m at Sotheby's in November 2013.
Both Triple Elvis (1963) and Four Marlons (1966) were acquired in the 1970s by the German Westdeutsche Spielbanken and were used to decorate its casino in Aachen. Both have remained as part of the collection since.
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