This is London Magazine June Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 20
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The exhibition will
feature works by
prominent artists,
including Andy Warhol,
Pauline Boty, James Gill
and Rosalyn Drexler,
alongside photographs
by more than twenty
influential
photographers such as
Richard Avedon, Cecil
Beaton, Eve Arnold and
Milton Greene. Together,
these works illustrate
Monroe’s evolution from
an aspiring model to
one of the most
Marilyn Monroe, by Cecil Beaton, bromide print, 1956,
photographed
women
Collection National Portrait Gallery.
in history.
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
Among the highlights are previously
MARKS MARILYN MONROE'S
unseen photographs taken by Life
CENTENARY
magazine photographer Allan Grant at
The National Portrait Gallery will
Monroe’s Brentwood home just one day
celebrate the centenary of Marilyn
before her death in August 1962. Of the
Monroe’s birth with Marilyn Monroe:
432 images captured during the session,
A Portrait, a major exhibition running
until 6 September. Organised in
collaboration with the Marilyn Monroe
Estate, the exhibition will explore the life,
career and enduring legacy of one of the
most notable figures of the twentieth
century.
Born in 1926, Monroe rose from
humble beginnings as Norma Jeane to
become a global symbol of glamour and
Hollywood success. Through an
extensive collection of portraits,
photographs and artworks, the exhibition
examines both her public image and the
role she played in shaping it.
Photographers who worked closely with
Green Marilyn, 1962, by Andy Warhol,
Monroe frequently described her as an
exceptional subject, noting her creativity © 2026 The Andy Warhol Foundation for
the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by DACS,
and active involvement in directing
London, National Gallery of Art, Washington.
photo sessions.
Gift of William C. Seitz and Irma S. Seitz.
Marilyn Monroe, Mount Sinai, Long Island,
1955, by Eve Arnold, © Eve Arnold Estate.
only eight were originally published.
The newly displayed photographs reveal
a more intimate side of Monroe,
portraying emotions ranging from joy
and confidence to quiet reflection.
Photographers who worked with
Monroe described her as the best
subject they had ever had.The exhibition
will foreground Monroe's collaborative
approach to image making and her
creative agency; she not only performed,
but also directed sessions and claimed
the right to veto any images she did not
like. The exhibition also explores
Monroe’s lasting impact on popular
culture and the arts. Her death inspired
numerous tributes from artists on both
sides of the Atlantic, with Andy Warhol’s
celebrated screen prints helping to
establish Monroe as an enduring
American icon. A century after her birth,
her image and influence continue to
captivate audiences around the world.
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
