Marilyn Monroe photographed by Richard Avedon in 1957

Keep it simple
This portrait, like most taken by Avedon, features a spare backdrop. Avedon said, “I have a white background. I have the person I’m interested in and the thing that happens between us.”

Richard Avedon aimed to reveal the true personalities of celebrities in his portraits. Recalling a portrait session with Marilyn Monroe that took place in his studio in May 1957, Avedon said, “For hours she danced and sang and flirted and did this thing that’s—she did Marilyn Monroe. And then there was the inevitable drop. And when the night was over and the white wine was over and the dancing was over, she sat in the corner like a child, with everything gone. I saw her sitting quietly without expression on her face, and I walked towards her but I wouldn’t photograph her without her knowledge of it. And as I came with the camera, I saw that she was not saying no. Avedon was able to capture one of the most photographed stars with her public façade down. In doing so, this photograph shares a rarely seen glimpse into Monroe’s inner life.