Eve Arnold began photographing Marilyn Monroe after the actress saw her pictures of Marlene Dietrich in Esquire. They met at a party and Monroe asked: “If you could do that well with Marlene, can you imagine what you can do with me?” So began their professional relationship, which, over the years, turned into friendship. Arnold photographed Monroe six times over the decade she knew her; the longest of these sessions being a two-month stint during the filming of ‘The Misfits’. Like the mournful tone of the film, Arnold’s pictures carry an unintended emotional weight, the story behind the production – Monroe’s tortured soul – as intriguing and stirring as the film itself.
Magnum Editions 8×10″ and Contact Sheet pairings allow you to follow the photographer’s process, frame by frame, giving insight into the decisions taken to create the final iconic image, sold alongside the contact sheet as an 8×10″ print. This pairing features photos of Marilyn Monroe on set of the Misfits. Nevada, 1960.
