A little-known image of the iconic Marilyn Monroe, captured in 1955 by photographer Eve Arnold, offers a unique perspective on the Hollywood diva. The actress appears barefoot in a children’s park, absorbed in reading the challenging novel “Ulysses”, by James Joyce, away from the spotlight and studio makeup. This rare portrait is now on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London as part of an exhibition exploring how Monroe managed her own public image.
A surprising portrait of the diva in 1955
The photograph in question shows Marilyn Monroe, aged 29, sitting on a swing in Long Island, New York. Wearing a colorful and vibrant jumpsuit, the most famous blonde in the world is focused on a book. The absence of makeup and artificial lighting highlights a more natural and contemplative side of the star, contrasting with the glamorous image often associated with her. Arnold’s record reveals an intimacy that deviates from the standards of the time for celebrities.
The context of the image: “Ulysses” and female identity
The voluminous “Ulysses” was not merely a stage prop for Marilyn Monroe. According to Michael Arnold, the photographer’s grandson, Monroe simply picked up the book and began reading while Eve Arnold prepared the camera. Observing the photograph carefully, it is clear that the actress was reading the final pages of the novel, which contain the famous monologue by Molly Bloom, a character who openly explores female sexuality. Art historian Griselda Pollock suggested in 2016 that Monroe, in reading this excerpt, could be deliberately identifying with the freedom and inner world of a woman without formal education.
Marilyn Monroe and control of her own image
The eternal Marilyn Monroe always demonstrated a strong sense of autonomy when it came to her photographs, something that contrasted with the studios’ control over her moving images. Georgia Atienza, assistant curator of the exhibition, reports that Monroe had the right to veto photos, even crossing out unwanted images with a hairpin. This stance reinforces the actress’ desire to shape her own visual narrative and to be seen beyond the sex symbol label.
A unique connection with photographer Eve Arnold
Eve Arnold was one of the few women to photograph Marilyn Monroe, developing a deep professional and personal relationship with the star. The partnership began in 1952, when Monroe, impressed by Arnold’s natural style when photographing Marlene Dietrich, invited her to work together. Over the course of ten years, the two collaborated on several projects, including the set of “The Misfits” in 1960. Michael Arnold describes how his grandmother, an incisive photojournalist, was reluctant to photograph celebrities, but found Monroe a magnetic figure. The bond was so strong that Monroe saw Arnold as a motherly figure, finding security in his presence.
The legacy of a feminine and revolutionary gaze
Eve Arnold’s unpretentious and natural style, which prioritized capturing her subjects’ everyday lives outside of the studio, represented an innovative approach to celebrity photography. The first woman to join the renowned Magnum Photos collective, Arnold sought to portray “the raw reality of being human”, as her grandson points out. After Marilyn Monroe’s death in 1962, Arnold banned the publication of most of her photos to protect the actress’s image from media exploitation, only publishing them in a 1987 book. The exhibition in London, which celebrates what would have been Monroe’s centenary, reiterates the difficulty of finding a definitive story about her, inviting the public to read between the lines of her portraits.