Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait will run until 6 September 2026 at the National Portrait Gallery, London, who have announced the following about the exhibition:
“In celebration of the Hollywood star’s 100th birthday and in association with the Marilyn Monroe estate, Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait explores the life, career and legacy of Marilyn Monroe through portraits created by some of the greatest photographers and artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Bringing together works by Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty, Marlene Dumas, James Gill, Rosalyn Drexler and Audrey Flack, alongside over 20 era-defining photographers, including Cecil Beaton, Philippe Halsman, Bernard of Hollywood, André de Dienes, Eve Arnold, Inge Morath, Alfred Eisenstaedt, Milton Greene, Sam Shaw, Richard Avedon and George Barris, the exhibition foregrounds Monroe’s collaborative approach to image making and her creative agency.
The exhibition also includes personal belongings such as scripts and clothes to enrich understanding of the woman behind the image.
From the earliest ‘cheesecake’ pin-ups made when she was a young model named Norma-Jeane, to the most poignant final photographs taken on the beach in Santa Monica in 1962, Marilyn Monroe was one of the most photographed people in the world. A defining presence in popular culture, she captivated audiences with performances in much loved films such as Some Like it Hot.
In the 1950s and 60s, Marilyn Monroe’s popularity secured her starring roles in the work of artists including Richard Hamilton, Pauline Boty and Andy Warhol, whose ‘Marilyn’ portraits are among the most highly prized works of art in the world. She continues to fascinate artists, drawn to her iconic presence and fascinating life.”
The three of Boty’s homages included are: Epitaph to Something’s Gotta Give, 1962, oil on hardboard, 106.5 x 127 cm, Colour Her Gone, 1962, oil on hardboard, 121.9 x 121.9 cm and The Only Blonde in the World, 1963, oil on canvas, 122.4 x 153 cm. This will be the first opportunity to see the works together in the same exhibition in the UK since 2013.
Details
Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait
4 June – 6 September 2026
National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place, London WC2H 0HE
Open daily: 10.30 – 18.00. Friday & Saturday 10.30 – 21.00
Tel: +44(0)20 7306 0055.
More information, including how to buy tickets, is here: [link]
All photos above by paulineboty.org from the exhibition preview evening.
Pauline Boty 