Marilyn Monroe

1 portrait of Marilyn Monroe

© Cecil Beaton Archive / Condé Nast

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Marilyn Monroe

by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 22 February 1956
7 1/2 in. x 7 1/2 in. (191 mm x 192 mm)
Accepted in lieu of tax by H.M. Government and allocated to the Gallery, 1991
Photographs Collection
NPG x40269

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), Photographer, designer and writer. Artist or producer associated with 1114 portraits, Sitter associated with 360 portraits.

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Clerk, Honor, The Sitwells, 1994 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 14 October - 22 January 1995), p. 129 Read entry

    In February 1954, Marilyn Monroe visited Edith in her apartment on Sunset Boulevard. Although it was the idea of Life magazine to bring them together, there seems to be no photographic record of the occasion. Marilyn wore a green dress and looked to Edith like a daffodil, 'a little spring-ghost, an innocent fertility-daemon, the vegetation spirit that was Ophelia'.1 In 1956 Marilyn Monroe and her husband Arthur Miller lunched with Edith at the Sesame Club in London. Earlier the same year Cecil Beaton had, after months of negotations, succeeded in securing sittings with Marilyn Monroe and photographer her for Harper's Bazaar in a New York hotel. He, too, was struck by her 'disarming childlike freshness', forgave her for being an hour and a quarter late and described her visit as 'an artless, impromptu, high-spirited, infectuiously gay performance. It will probably end in tears.'2

    1 Edith Sitwell, Taken Care Of, an autobiography, 1965, p 183.

    2 C. Beaton, The Face of the World, 1957, p 184.

Placesback to top

  • Place made and portrayed: United States (Ambassador Hotel, New York, United States)

Events of 1956back to top

Current affairs

The first supermarket opens in Britain. Inspired by the new innovation in America, Jack Cohen opened his first Tesco supermarket in Essex.
The First Clean Air Act is passed in response to the 'Pea Soup' smog over London.

Art and science

Pop Art is seen for the first time in the This is Tomorrow exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery. The exhibition included Richard Hamilton's iconic collage: What is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?
John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger opens at the Royal Court Theatre, introducing the phrase 'Angry young man' to describe the new movement of gritty, post-war realism in literature.

International

The Suez Crisis rocked Eden's premiership and marked the decline of British world power and influence in favour of America. In 1956 President Nasser of Egypt nationalised the Suez canal. Although Britain and France, who had owned the canal since the 19th century, invaded Egypt, they were soon persuaded to withdraw by US President Eisenhower who disapproved of the occupation.

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