Portrait-Avedon

This photograph is of Marilyn Monroe which was taken in New York City in 1957 by Richard Avedon. This portrait was particularly effective due to the raw emotion exhibited from the actress’s facial expression. This caught my attention because I personally love Marilyn Monroe. I have seen so many of her movies and enjoyed reading various books about her life. Her life was one filled with triumphs, heartache and tragedy. To the public, Marilyn was an eccentric, beautiful, charismatic, flirtatious, and spirited pop icon. She was known for her undeniable beauty as well as her flirtatious and loving nature with men and became known around the world as a glamorous actress and sex symbol. When she was on screen, her presence was felt by everybody and the public was drawn in. On the surface, she would be seen smiling and laughing usually surrounded by men on and off the screen. However, below the surface, there was pain and despair and a heavy need for validation from men. Like most celebrities, she struggled with her mental health and resorted to unhealthy behavior to try and cope with the agony she was feeling inside. But she never let the world see how dark her world really was because she had a reputation to uphold. That is why this photograph is so remarkable, because it exposes Marilyn’s true feelings that are very rarely seen by the public. Avedon captures this raw emotion in this black and white photograph where her hair and makeup are done, she is in a glamorous black sequin dress and her face holds a very stern expression. Her mouth is semi opened and her eyes are looking downward with a sad/scared look in her eye with high eyebrows. Avedon stated that “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.” In this photo, she is no longer pretending to be who she is supposed to be under spotlight. Instead, this photo resembles how she feels when there are no cameras, lights or people watching. Richard Avedon delivers this so beautifully and powerfully through this portrait of Marilyn Monroe. 

Avedon, Richard. Portraits: Richard Avedon. 1st ed. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2002.

https://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/richard-avedon-marilyn-monroe-actress-new-york-may-6-1957/