Marilyn Monroe — The Face That Defined Pop Art, 1952. (watermarks do not appear on the actual photograph.)
Marilyn Monroe — The Face That Defined Pop Art, 1952. (verso)
Marilyn Monroe — The Face That Defined Pop Art, 1952. (verso)
Frank Powolny
21 x 15.9 cm
Reprinted for archive 1971
Further images
An original vintage black-and-white publicity photograph depicting Marilyn Monroe at the height of her early Hollywood fame, photographed in 1952 by legendary Twentieth Century Fox studio photographer Frank Powolny and reprinted in 1971 from the original negative.
This celebrated portrait is among the most iconic images ever created of Marilyn Monroe — the very photograph that inspired Andy Warhol for his legendary Marilyn Monroe silkscreen artworks of the 1960s, transforming her image into one of the defining symbols of modern art and popular culture.
With her luminous platinum curls, half-smile, and hypnotic gaze, Monroe appears both glamorous and vulnerable — embodying the mystery, beauty, and magnetism that made her an enduring international icon. The dramatic composition and elegant studio lighting by Frank Powolny helped shape the visual mythology of Marilyn Monroe during Hollywood’s golden age.
The reverse bears a Frank Powolny Photography stamp with handwritten notations identifying the image as a 1952 Marilyn Monroe portrait reprinted in 1971.
Photographer: Frank Powolny
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Date of Original Image: 1952
Reprinted: 1971
Medium: Vintage gelatin silver photograph
Image Size: 8 1/4 x 6 1/4 inches
A remarkable historical photograph connecting classic Hollywood glamour with the birth of Pop Art — preserving the immortal face that inspired generations of artists, collectors, and admirers worldwide.
Provenance
Gallagher’s Paper & Collectibles, New York City - a well-known dealer specializing in vintage movie memorabilia, Hollywood photography, and entertainment collectibles.Estate of a Private Collector, Baltimore, Maryland.