Trained in commercial illustration and advertising, Andy Warhol was intrigued by consumer culture and the power of pop icons such as the film star Marilyn Monroe. Within a few days of Monroe's death in 1962, Warhol purchased a black-and-white 1950s publicity photo of her, which he used as the basis of many paintings as well as this portfolio of prints. These were printed by Warhol's own press, Factory Additions, which he established to issue editioned works. In the "Marilyn" portfolio, each of the ten images is varied in both color combination and the subtle shifts of registration.