Photographer: Douglas Kirkland

Title: "Marilyn Monroe"

Douglas Kirkland: "Marilyn Monroe," Los Angeles, 1961

For Kirkland, the photo shoot of Monroe was like a fantasy: "I'd had a very small-town background and here, the superstar of all superstars was five feet away from me." Monroe removed her robes and got under the white silken sheets to pose for the portrait. Still in his twenties, Kirkland was embarrassed and shot the photographs as quickly as he could. He believes that the photographs were so strong because his "sexual desire was channeled into the camera."

Douglas Kirkland (Canadian, 1934 - 2022)

Douglas Kirkland was a Canadian-born photographer, renowned for his celebrity photography. His most recognized works include the alluringly intimate photographs of Marilyn Monroe. Other iconic figures Kirkland has captured include Elizabeth Taylor, Coco Chanel, and Marlene Dietrich. A one-time staff photographer for Life magazine and Look magazine, he photographed on the sets of more than 100 major motion pictures, including "Titanic," "Moulin Rouge," and "The Great Gatsby." His books include "An Evening with Marilyn," the New York Times bestseller "James Cameron's Titanic," and his monograph, "A Life in Pictures." His photographs of Hollywood stars are in the permanent collections of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Australian National Portrait Gallery, and the National Portrait Gallery in London, among many other institutions. Kirkland's honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Cinematographers, a Lucie Award from the International Photography Awards, and an Award of Excellence from the Canadian government.

Estate Print, digitally signed with certificate of authenticity

Image size: 27 x 19 inches (landscape)

Approx. framed size: 35 x 27.5 inches