In2009,GregoryMcCoy,anotedNewJerseyAndyWarholCollectordiscoveredwhilesearchingonline,fourremarkableandunknownsilkscreenprintsofMarilynMonroe,whatstruckMcCoyimmediatelywastheremarkableresemblancetoAndyWarhol’siconic1962silkscreenportraitoftheactor.AfterinvestigatingtheoriginsoftheMarilyns,hepurchasedfourproofcopiesfromaSwedishartdealer.Throughhispainstakingresearch,McCoyhasdiscoveredthatthescreenprintswere,mostlikely,madeinSwedenin1968atthetimeofWarhol’sfirstinternationalexhibitionattheModernaMuseetinStockholm.Excitedbyhisdiscovery,McCoyhasspentthepasttwelveyearsacquiringoverthreehundredmulticoloredMarilyns.NotusedintheStockholmexhibition,itappearsthatthescreenprintswentundergroundandweregiftedtoacircleofSwedeswhowereassociatedwithPontusHult矇n,thecontroversialDirectoroftheModernaMuseet.In2016,McCoywasintroducedtoPennLibrariesDirectoroftheRareBookandManuscriptLibrary;afterexaminingasampleoftheMarilynsilkscreens,McCoyandPennLibrariesformedapartnershiptoexhibitaselectionoftheMarilyns.WhyPenn?Itseemedobvious.PennhadplayedasignificantroleinlaunchingWarhol’scareerwhentherecentlyfoundedInstituteforContemporaryArt(ICA)mountedWarhol’sfirstinstitutionalretrospectiveofhisworkin1965.TheICAexhibitislegendary.GivenPenn’sroleinWarhol’sPopArtcareer,PennseemedtoMcCoytobetheobviousvenuetounveilhisimportantdiscoverytotheartworld.TodatethequestionofAndyWarhol’sroleintheproductionofthiscollectionofMarilyn’sremainsunanswered,whichispartoftheintellectualchallengeofdefiningtheseartobjectswithinthecontextofPontusHult矇ncuratorialvisionandAndyWarhol’sethosandaesthetic.Thecatalogueincludesaninterviewwiththecollector,essaysbynotedWarholscholars:RevaWolfandKennethGoldsmith;anessayonthe1965ICAexhibitionbyArtLibrarianHannahBennett;andanessayontheiconographyofMarilynMonroebyDavidMcKnight,editorandcuratoroftheshow.ThevolumeconcludeswithaCatalogueRaisonn矇oftheMcCoyMarilynscollection,preparedbyMaureenMcCormick,formerChiefRegistraratthePrincetonUniversityArtGallery.Therewillbe1,968cataloguesprinted,commemoratingtheyearinwhichtheprintsweremade.
