“What can I say? It’s a whim,” says Julia Gragnon, owner of Galerie de l’Instant in Paris. “Since our opening, this is the third photo exhibition dedicated to the star among all stars, the unforgettable Marilyn.” The exhibition features photographs of the American actress and singer over 16 years, some of which are famous, others less so.
See Marilyn in her many guises. Shot by André De Dienes when she was 20, the very shy Marilyn hides her face with a blanket. In 1954, she’s provocative, kissing at Weegee’s camera in New York. In 1957, Sam Shaw took a picture of Marilyn sitting on a bench reading a newspaper next to a loving couple, as well as an amazing picture of her totally abandoning herself to her husband, writer Arthur Miller.
And there’s work from The Last Sitting at Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles in June 1962, where photographer Bert Stern did the last photo shoot with her for Vogue, six weeks before she died. The images show a 36-year-old woman obviously drunk and fragile, but immensely beautiful. This 12-hour shoot remains the most memorable and iconic of the unforgettable star.
Inoubliable Marilyn runs until February 25th. Galerie de l’Instant, 46 rue de Poitou. 75003 Paris.
Credits
Text Oscar Heliani
Images courtesy Galerie de l’Instant, Paris