"At photo sessions, she was in total control. She manipulated everything. No one even came close to Marilyn in natural ability to use both photographer and still camera." – Eve Arnold
When Eve and Marilyn first met, the year before this photograph was taken, both women were on the brink of major career success. The introduction came at a Hollywood party, shortly after Arnold had photographed Marlene Dietrich to great acclaim. Monroe, intrigued by those natural, unretouched images of Dietrich, greeted Arnold with a playful challenge: “If you could do that with her, just imagine what you could do with me.”
The exchange marked the beginning of an enduring personal and professional relationship, central to which was profound mutual trust.
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Edition of 21
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Available in two sizes: 20"x24" and 24"x34"
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Printed on Cotton Baryta Rag paper and issued with a signed certificate of authenticity by the Eve Arnold estate
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The print is produced with the Arnold family’s approval by the experienced fine-art printer and restorer Danny Pope, whose work Eve Arnold herself personally endorsed
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The print is annotated and stamped on the reverse
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Available framed or unframed
"At a time when Monroe's image was controlled and mythologised by the studio system, Eve's photographs show someone more human, more vulnerable, more complex". – Michael Arnold
To take a look at the print and tell the story behind the image, Michael Arnold, Eve's grandson and the manager of her estate, visited the gallery. You can watch the video here: