THE NEVER ENDING QUESTION: BACK THEN

Here's a question of considerable financial interest this fall: Is Andy Warhol overrated? Art experts have come to a consensus that the flamboyant and prolific pop artist known for his paintings of Campbell Soup cans is probably the most important artist of the late 20th century. The monetary importance of that assessment has been clear since 1998, when a Warhol portrait of Marilyn Monroe, Orange Marilyn, soared beyond all expectations at a Sotheby's auction and was gaveled down at an incredible $17.3 million. No single work has approached that record since then, but the average price of Warhol paintings and prints has continued to climb rapidly

Business Week
Oct 30 2002