Marilyn, the Legend turns 100

Marilyn Monroe returns to London on the centenary of her birth with a major exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. From June 4 to September 6, 2026, the museum presents a journey that intertwines iconic images and intimate testimonies, recounting one of the most recognizable yet most enigmatic figures of the twentieth century. Photographs by Cecil Beaton, Richard Avedon and George Barris are shown alongside works by Andy Warhol, Marlene Dumas and Pauline Boty, offering a wide range of interpretations that span from Hollywood glamour to critical reflections on the female image. Alongside the portraits, the exhibition includes dresses, scripts and books once owned by Marilyn, materials that reveal the private face of Norma Jeane behind the myth of the star. Rare photographs document her early years, while others, such as the series taken on Malibu beach in 1962, evoke the final moments of her life. Together they build a narrative that transcends legend and invites reflection on the making of celebrity, individual fragility and the power of images in the media age. The exhibition thus joins the broader conversation on the visual culture of the twentieth century, showing how Marilyn’s figure continues to inspire artists, photographers and audiences a century after her birth.