Featuring work by some of the most legendary photographers and artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, the National Portrait Gallery’s latest exhibition, Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait, celebrates the Hollywood icon’s 100th birthday. Open to the public until 6 September 2026, it brings together images and artworks by the likes of Andy Warhol, James Gill, Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon and Sam Shaw, offering glimpses into the homes, hotels and retreats that shaped his life away from the spotlight.
Born Norma Jean Baker in Los Angeles in 1926, Marilyn spent much of her childhood between foster homes. That sense of transience continued throughout his adult life. As her fame grew, she moved between hotel suites, city Apartments and the country Retreat, Los Angeles and New York Connecticut and in short, England.
While people knew her as one of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars, Marilyn’s private life was often quiet. An avid reader, she once remarked that what little spare time she had was spent reading and studying. from Brentwood (his last home now believed to be ‘There is no value‘ by its current owners) to Surrey, places where Marilyn Monroe lived offer a glimpse of the woman behind the image.
