Sharjah24 – AFP: Andy Warhol's iconic sage-blue background portrait of Marilyn Monroe is tipped to sell for a record-breaking $200 million at a Christie's auction in the spring. The auction house says it expects Warhol's 1964 "Shot Sage Blue Marilyn" to become the most expensive 20th century artwork when it goes under the hammer in New York in May.

Commenting on this, Alex Rotter, head of 20th and 21st century art at Christie's said, "She represents more than a Warhol. She stands along the most famous and most recognizable portraits, not only of our time but of art history. When I ask you to recognize certain paintings, Marilyn stands in line with - and I'm going big here - with Da Vinci's Mona Lisa, with Picasso's Demoiselles d'Avignon, with Manet's Olympia, with Ingres' Odalisque and with Botticelli's Venus."