Discover Eve Arnold’s intimate unseen images of Marilyn Monroe
‘Marilyn Monroe by Eve Arnold’, published by ACC Art Books, is a personal portrayal of an icon

‘It has often been said that Marilyn Monroe made love to the camera, but what is most evident about this series of photographs is the confidence and relaxation she exudes in her collaboration with the photographer,’ says Anjelica Huston in the foreword to Marilyn Monroe by Eve Arnold, a new photography book featuring previously unseen images of Monroe.
Intimate and unexpected, the photographs here are the result of the close relationship American photojournalist Eve Arnold developed with the star, formed after a meeting at a party. Monroe had seen recent images Arnold had taken of Marlene Dietrich, distinctive for their documentary style at odds with the more typical, well-lit professional headshots of the time.
Monroe, on the cusp of stardom, recognised the approach as fresh, and full of potential. In her introduction to the book, Arnold says Monroe asked: ‘If you could do that well with Marlene, can you imagine what you can do with me?’
It was the beginning of a relationship that turned to a friendship, with Arnold photographing Monroe six times over a decade, including every day during the filming of The Misfits. The resulting works capture a more relaxed Monroe, reading, doing her make-up, stranded by flight delays or dancing with her husband, Arthur Miller, on a film set.
Following Monroe from the early days of her career, in curating and crafting her image, to filming throughout the 1950s and time spent in Los Angeles in the early 1960s, the book traces Monroe’s journey. Images are accompanied by a detailed biography from Arnold, offering an insight into Monroe’s often fragile state of mind. ‘Over the years, I found myself in the privileged position of photographing someone who I had first thought had a gift for the still camera and who turned out to have a genius for it,’ Arnold adds.
‘Marilyn Monroe by Eve Arnold' is published by ACC Art Books and available from amazon.co.uk
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
ICON 4x4 goes EV, giving their classic Bronco-based restomod an electric twist
The EV Bronco is ICON 4x4’s first foray into electrifying its range of bespoke vintage off-roaders and SUVs
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Inside Camperlab’s Harry Nuriev-designed Paris store, a dramatic exercise in contrast
The Crosby Studios founder tells Wallpaper* the story behind his new store design for Mallorcan shoe brand Camperlab, which centres on an interplay between ‘crushed concrete’ and gleaming industrial design
By Jack Moss Published
-
‘Dressed to Impress’ captures the vivid world of everyday fashion in the 1950s and 1960s
A new photography book from The Anonymous Project showcases its subjects when they’re dressed for best, posing for events and celebrations unknown
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Daniel Arsham’s new monograph collates the works of the auto-obsessed American artist
‘Arsham Motorsport’ is two volumes of inspiration, process and work, charting artist Daniel Arsham’s oeuvre inspired by the icons and forms of the automotive industry
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Era-defining photographer David Bailey guides us through the 1980s in a new tome not short of shoulder pads and lycra
From Yves Saint Laurent to Princess Diana, London photographer David Bailey dives into his 1980s archive in a new book by Taschen
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Inside Joan Didion’s unseen diary of personal relationships and post-therapy notes
A newly discovered diary by Joan Didion is soon to be published. Titled 'Notes to John', the journal documents her relationship with her daughter, husband, alcoholism, and depression
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Carsten Höller’s new Book of Games: 336 playful pastimes for the bold and the bored
Artist Carsten Höller invites readers to step out of their comfort zone with a series of subversive games
By Anne Soward Published
-
Distracting decadence: how Silvio Berlusconi’s legacy shaped Italian TV
Stefano De Luigi's monograph Televisiva examines how Berlusconi’s empire reshaped Italian TV, and subsequently infiltrated the premiership
By Zoe Whitfield Published
-
How a sprawling new book honours the legacy of cult photographer Larry Fink
‘Larry Fink: Hands On / A Passionate Life of Looking’ pays homage to an American master. ‘He had this ability to connect,’ says publisher Daniel Power
By Jordan Bassett Published
-
New Jay-Z coffee-table book dives into the Brooklyn rapper's archives
'Book of HOV: A Tribute to Jay-Z' is a hefty tome for a hefty talent
By Craig McLean Published