Detail of Marilyn Monroe by James Rosenquist in the Museum of Modern Art, December 2007

James Rosenquist. (American, born 1933). Marilyn Monroe, I. 1962. Oil and spray enamel on canvas, 7' 9" x 6' 1/4" (236.2 x 183.3 cm). The Sidney and Harriet Janis Collection

Gallery label text
2006

Screen icon and sex symbol Marilyn Monroe (1926–62) was a favorite subject of many pop artists, and she figures prominently in more than fifteen works in the Museum's collection. Here, in a tribute to the actress created soon after her death, Rosenquist inverted, fragmented, and partially obscured her image with a superimposed portion of her name. He also included a segment of the brand name "Coca–Cola," rendered upside–down in its trademark script. In pairing Monroe with this famous logo, Rosenquist was suggesting that she is as iconic an example of American popular culture as the ubiquitous soft drink.

Text from: www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?object_id=80174