bert stern, marilyn monroe, 1962

“Marilyn Monroe agreed to pose nude for Vogue, with no make-up on her body, as long as the session could take place in LA. Rather than work in a studio, Stern decided to take a suite (No. 261) at the Bel-Air Hotel, Monroe had not been photographed in the nude since the Tom Kelley calendar pix. “I waited for her like a lover, like a bridegroom before his wedding, pacing the floor checking the ice in the Dom Pérignon 1953 vintage champagne, spraying the suite with Chanel No. 5.” Monroe arrived with Vicky, her hairdresser, five hours late. For 12 hours Stern snapped away, draping Monroe with necklaces, veils and two large roses, supplied by Vogue.
The Crucifix, one of the photos that Monroe hated and put a red pen through in the form of a thick cross. After the shooting, Marilyn Monroe rejected herself some of the pictures, marking them with a red pen (not lipstick), directly on the film.
“She hated the scar on her midriff from a recent gall-bladder operation, I told her it was beautiful. She was at a time in her life when she needed to re-invent herself, I think that’s why she accepted to pose for me, she drank gallons of Dom Pérignon, got drunk and fell asleep.” (Bert Stern)