Milton H. Greene

A striking and deeply atmospheric portrait of Marilyn Monroe captured during the legendary “Black Sitting” session photographed by Milton H. Greene in New York City in February 1956. Bathed in dramatic shadow and luminous highlights, Monroe appears seated against a darkened studio backdrop, holding a slender glass while posed in an intimate moment of elegance, mystery, and vulnerability. The composition embodies the refined sophistication and emotional depth that defined Greene’s most celebrated collaborations with Monroe during the height of her transformation from Hollywood starlet into an independent artistic force.

This exceptional vintage gelatin silver photograph was custom printed directly by Milton H. Greene on June 23, 1978 from the original camera negative. Measuring an impressive 16” x 20”, the semi-gloss, double-weight borderless print possesses remarkable tonal richness, velvety blacks, and luminous skin detail that only a photographer’s own darkroom print can fully achieve. Greene’s printing style gives the image a cinematic quality—both sensual and timeless—making it one of the most visually compelling portraits from this iconic series.

The verso bears multiple important authentication markings, including the stamped notation: “COPYRIGHTED REPRODUCTION / BY PERMISSION ONLY / MILTON H. GREENE” as well as the rare: “AUTHENTIC ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH BY Milton H. Greene” wet stamp, signed by Greene in blue ink and dated “6-23-78.”

Created during one of the most important periods of Monroe’s life and career, “The Black Sitting” photographs reflect a moment when she had recently broken away from 20th Century Fox and founded Marilyn Monroe Productions in an effort to gain creative control over her image and career. Greene became not only her photographer, but also a close confidant and business partner. Together they produced some of the most enduring and artistically sophisticated portraits ever made of Monroe.

Unlike highly commercialized publicity photographs of the era, Greene’s portraits revealed Monroe as introspective, intelligent, sensual, and emotionally complex. The “Black Sitting” remains among the most admired and collectible photographic sessions of her career, celebrated for its dramatic lighting, minimalist styling, and intimate psychological presence.

An extraordinary collector’s piece and an important example of twentieth-century celebrity photography, this original Greene print offers a direct connection to one of the defining visual collaborations in American cultural history.

Details

* Artist: Milton H. Greene

* Subject: Marilyn Monroe

* Title: Seated with Glass (“The Black Sitting”)

* Date of Negative: February 1956

* Print Date: June 23, 1978

* Medium: Vintage gelatin silver photograph

* Print Type: Semi-gloss, double-weight, borderless custom print

* Dimensions: 16” x 20”

* Verso: Signed and dated authentication stamps by Milton H. Greene

* Condition: Very Fine / Excellent, with slight edge wear at the corner tips

A museum-quality original photograph of one of the most iconic women of the twentieth century—printed, signed, and authenticated by the photographer himself.