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, is a celebration of 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 a glimpse into the homes, hotels and retreats that shaped her life away from the spotlight.
Born Norma Jeane Baker in Los Angeles in 1926, Marilyn spent much of her childhood moving between foster homes. That sense of transience continued throughout her adult life. As her fame grew, she moved between hotel suites, city apartments and country retreats, from Los Angeles and New York to Connecticut and, briefly, England.
While the public knew her as one of Hollywood’s most glamorous stars, Marilyn’s private life was often quieter. An avid reader, she once remarked that what little spare time she had was spent reading and studying. From Brentwood (her last home that has now been deemed ‘worth nothing’ by its current owners) to Surrey, the places Marilyn Monroe inhabited offer a glimpse into the woman behind the image.