Marilyn Monroe Through the Lens of Famous Photographers: The Diva’s Best Snaps 2
Discover the most famous photographers who immortalized Marilyn Monroe in iconic photos throughout her career, revealing the diva through different lenses and perspectives. Learn the story behind the images that marked the history of cinema and fashion.
Marilyn Monroe, one of the most photographed women of all time, began her career as a model in 1945, still under the name Norma Jeane. Her destiny seemed to be sealed from the start. With an unconditional love for the camera, Marilyn became the great star who still fascinates the world today, more than half a century after her death. The actress was photographed by hundreds of photographers throughout her life, but some professionals stood out for capturing iconic images that marked an era and continue to be references to this day.
After her death, many of these photos helped to further consolidate Marilyn Monroe’s legacy, and the photographers who captured her became the protagonists of stories about what it was like to photograph the greatest star of the 20th century. In this series, we will present the most famous shots and talk about the photographers who made Marilyn Monroe a legend behind the lens.
Sam Shaw: The Fame of the Flowing Skirt
Sam Shaw is the photographer responsible for the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe in a billowing skirt, taken during the filming of The Seven Year Itch in 1954. The photo became one of the most reproduced in the history of cinema and helped to cement Marilyn as one of the greatest symbols of her era. Shaw and Monroe had a deep friendship, and after the actress’s death, he refused to publish his photos of her for ten years. He also photographed her in more intimate moments, such as on Amagansett Beach in 1957, when she was married to Arthur Miller.
Bert Stern: The Last Session
Bert Stern was responsible for one of Marilyn Monroe’s last photo shoots. Six weeks before her death, the actress posed for him at the Bel-Air Hotel in Los Angeles. During the shoot, Marilyn revealed a more melancholic side, evidenced by her physical and emotional exhaustion, a reflection of the pressures she had been facing. The photos, which were published in 1982 in the book Marilyn Monroe – The Last Session, capture the actress in a natural and vulnerable way, including showing the scar from gallbladder surgery.
Richard Avedon
Cecil Beaton: The Portrait of a Diva
Cecil Beaton, one of the most famous photographers of the 20th century, was responsible for portraying Marilyn Monroe in a series of glamorous photographs. Beaton, known for his work with high society and movie stars, had to wait three months to have a session with Marilyn. When they finally met at the Ambassador Hotel in New York, Beaton described the actress as a naive and infectious person, with a playful spirit but also a touch of melancholy. “She jokes, screams with pleasure, jumps on the sofa, puts a flower in her mouth, smokes a daisy as if it were a cigarette. She is naive and infectious. It will probably end in tears,” said the photographer. The session with Beaton is remembered as one of the actress’s most elegant and charming.
Eve Arnold: The Everyday Photographer
Eve Arnold was one of the most important photographers in Marilyn Monroe’s career, photographing the diva for ten years. She captured not only the glamour, but also the most intimate and everyday side of Marilyn. Among her most iconic photos is the work done during the filming of The Misfits (1960), which shows the actress exhausted and emotionally fragile, reflecting the wear and tear of public life and the personal challenges she was facing.
Mais sobre a autora
