I've been fascinated by Marilyn Monroe for as long as I can remember.
I've watched pretty much every documentary made about her, seen most of her films, and made a point of catching her major exhibitions whenever they come around.
What's always pulled me in isn't the sex symbol image everyone knows, it's the sensitivity underneath it, the woman who kept getting flattened into an icon.
So when I heard the National Portrait Gallery was staging a show for her 100th birthday, there was never any doubt I'd visit it!
Today, DOYOUSPEAKLONDON meets Marilyn Monroe through the eyes of the artists and photographers who helped shape her iconic image!
Meet the photographers behind Marilyn Monroe: A portrait
What I loved about this exhibition is that it’s about much more than the photographs. Each room introduces the photographers and their unique relationship with Marilyn, making the stories behind the images just as fascinating as the portraits themselves.
Here’s a glimpse of a few, just enough to spark your curiosity!
Cecil Beaton brought his elegant, theatrical eye to a 1956 sitting that's often called one of her most romantic portraits.
Philippe Halsman photographed her repeatedly across her career, including several LIFE magazine covers that shaped her early public image.
Bernard of Hollywood was behind some of her earliest pin-up work, helping establish the glamorous persona she'd later have to fight to escape.
André de Dienes photographed her on the beach in the 1940s, back when she was still Norma Jeane and modelling was just a job.
Eve Arnold, the Magnum photographer, had a genuine working friendship with Marilyn over nearly a decade.
Milton Greene was a close friend and business partner; together they co-founded Marilyn Monroe Productions, which explains the intimacy in his portraits.
Richard Avedon reinvented her into different personas for a 1958 LIFE series, treating her as a genuine artistic collaborator rather than a subject.
George Barris took Marilyn’s final photographs on Santa Monica Beach in 1962. They close the exhibition, and honestly, they’re hard to walk past, there’s so much emotion in them.
This fascinating web of professional relationships makes the exhibition feel like so much more than a collection of iconic images. There’s real depth to it, and I genuinely loved every minute!
What makes this Marilyn Monroe exhibition so special
A new vision of Marilyn Monroe
This isn't another exhibition recycling the same pin-up shots you've seen a hundred times. The through-line here is that everyone who worked with Marilyn Monroe seemed to end up fascinated by her, not just her image, but her.
Photographers, painters, directors, friends: the exhibition keeps circling back to how much creative agency she actually had in shaping her own portraits.
It's rare for an exhibition to manage scholarly depth and genuine emotional pull at the same time, and this one does.
An iconic collection of great Photographers
What really elevates this show is the sheer calibre of names on the walls, all in one place.
Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon, Eve Arnold, Philippe Halsman, Milton Greene: these are some of the most influential photographers of the 20th century, and Marilyn Monroe is the thread connecting all their work here.
Add Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty and Marlene Dumas into the mix, and you've got painters and photographers in genuine dialogue with each other.
If you love photography, don’t miss this one. It’s fascinating to see how differently each photographer captured Marilyn.
Inside the National Portrait Gallery itself
Part of what makes this visit worthwhile is the building around the exhibition.
The National Portrait Gallery's permanent collection is free to enter, and it's genuinely one of London's most interesting places, with centuries of British faces told through art.
And here’s a bonus: your Marilyn visit comes with a rather lovely extra. If you fancy a drink afterwards, I’ve also reviewed Larry’s, the secret bar tucked beneath the gallery, here.
Feeling inspired? If you're planning a visit to the National Portrait Gallery, I'd love to hear about your experience on DOYOUSPEAKLONDON!
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Everything you need to know about Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait
Address: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London, WC2H 0HE (nearest tube stations: Leicester Square, Charing Cross or Embankment).
Tickets: From £25.00 (off-peak, Mon–Thu) / £27.00 (peak, Fri–Sun).
Opening hours: Exhibition runs 4 June – 6 September 2026, Floor 0. Gallery open daily 10.30–18.00, Friday & Saturday until 21.00. Exhibition open until 21.00 Thursdays and 22.00 Fridays/Saturdays throughout August.
Website: npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/marilyn-monroe-a-portrait
