Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait at National Portrait Gallery
The National Portrait Gallery in London presents 'Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait,' a blockbuster exhibition marking Monroe's 100th birthday. The show traces her transformation from Norma Jeane Baker, a mousey-haired teenager seen in a 1940 photo booth self-portrait, to the radiant, uncontainable film star. Despite the reviewer's initial skepticism toward anniversary exhibitions and celebrity portraits, Monroe's own charm and glamour redeem the display. The exhibition includes images capturing her life up to her shocking death at 36, though it leaves questions about what lay behind the smile.
Key facts
- Exhibition at National Portrait Gallery, London
- Marks Marilyn Monroe's 100th birthday
- Opens with a 1940 self-portrait of Norma Jeane Baker
- Traces Monroe's transformation from teen to star
- Includes images up to her death at 36
- Reviewer expresses mixed feelings but finds Monroe's charm redeeming
Entities
Artists
- Marilyn Monroe
- Norma Jeane Baker
- Philippe Halsman
- André de Dienes
- Cecil Beaton
- Eve Arnold
- Richard Avedon
- Weegee
- Arthur Fellig
- Salvador Dalí
- Alex Margo Arden
- Sam Shaw
- Bruno Bernard
- William Travilla
- Kim Kardashian
- John F. Kennedy
- Arthur Miller
Institutions
- National Portrait Gallery
- CLUB NPG
- Met Gala
- LIFE Magazine
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States
- Malibu
- California