The National Portrait Gallery in London will open "Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait" on June 4, 2026, marking the centenary of Marilyn Monroe's birth. The exhibition brings together photographs and artworks from across Monroe's life and career, including early pin-up images, portraits by Andy Warhol, Pauline Boty, and Richard Avedon, and a rarely seen series of photographs taken by Allan Grant at her home the day before her death. The show positions Monroe as an active collaborator in constructing her own image, rather than a passive subject.
This exhibition matters because it reframes Monroe's legacy as both a cultural icon and a deliberate image-maker, challenging the mythologized narrative that has surrounded her for decades. By including works by major artists and photographers alongside intimate, unpublished images, the show underscores Monroe's enduring influence on visual culture and her transformation into a symbol that continues to resonate across generations. It also highlights the National Portrait Gallery's role in staging major biographical exhibitions that engage with contemporary art historical scholarship.