The story of Andy Warhol‘s popular screen prints made by Sunday b. Morning, from the first Marilyn to subsequent editions, Warhol decided to accept this initially unauthorized production.
All the serigraphs forming part of this graphic production were signed in pencil and numbered by Andy Warhol on the back, some signed in pen, some initialed on the reverse and others still dated. In addition, 26 artist proofs serigraphs were created, signed by Warhol himself and bearing the letters A-Z on the back.
This first edition of Marilyn Monroe serigraphs by Andy Warhol was so successful that many enthusiasts and collectors hoped that the artist could produce a second edition.
In the 1970s Warhol worked with German and Belgian printers for his European exhibitions. They proposed to the American artist an edition of Marilyn Monroe’s silkscreen destined for the European market. However, Andy Warhol did not accept the proposal of the European printers and refused to help this new edition.
Nevertheless, the European market experienced the first unauthorized Marilyn Monroe serigraphs, with different colors than the original edition. This new European edition of 250 unauthorized prints was stamped on the back in black ink: “Published by Sunday B. Morning” and “Fill in Your own Signature”.
Andy Warhol, who soon became aware of this new European edition of unauthorized screen prints, wrote “This is not by me“ on the back of some of them. But, over time, Andy Warhol accepted the European edition because of the friendship that bound him to the two European printers and publishers.
The first edition of unauthorized screen printing was so popular that Sunday b. Morning, over the years, has continued to publish new screenprints of Marilyn Monroe and the next edition was published in the original colors, not signed or numbered, and on the back, to highlight the difference from the first edition, the stamps in blue ink “Published by Sunday B. Morning” and “Fill in Your own Signature”.
The Sunday B. Morning screen prints have always been made on museum quality paper and with the use of professional inks of the highest quality. Even today Sunday b. Morning continues its production of Andy Warhol serigraphs, indicating the words “Published by Sunday B. Morning” and “Fill in Your own Signature” on the back of its prints.
The editions made by Sunday b. Morning are now also in the catalog raisonné of Andy Warhol’s prints.
