Thursday 24 May 2007

Milton Greene's Marilyn

Milton H. Greene - Marilyn Monroe, Ballerina Sitting (1954)To give you a comparison with Andy Warhol's overrated twaddle (see below) here's a photo from Milton H. Greene's famous photo shoot of Marilyn Monroe in New York City in 1954. This pose is called Ballerina Sitting. No soppy Pop Art colour changes, just a great photographer with a delightfully artful subject. The humour of this pose - the naff model chin-on-fingertip and the clodhopping feet - shows a complete rapport between sitter and artist rarely found in portraiture. Now look at Warhol's mess. Pathetic, isn't it?

6 Comments:

At 25/5/07, Blogger Dorothea said...

Too true.

And women were allowed to appear in a sensible shape in those days too. None of this "size zero" BS.

 
At 25/5/07, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi, Dorothea
Yes, women were soft and buxom in those days. It all started going wrong with Twiggy in the 1960's. But I think people missed the point. It wasn't that Twiggy was emaciated with bony knees that made her such a great model; it was her gorgeous little face. She'd have looked just as dazzling with more flesh on her. In fact she still looks great. Watch out for her Marks & Sparks TV ads. How many models look that good in their 60's?

 
At 25/5/07, Blogger weggis said...

Do I spot six toes on Ms Monroe's left foot?

 
At 25/5/07, Blogger Dorothea said...

ooh I know, it makes a girl come over all miaow.

 
At 26/5/07, Blogger Unknown said...

Could be. If only she were still alive and one could get a close look at those little pinkies....

 
At 26/5/07, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi, Dorothea
I assume you're green over Twiggy's gorgeous little face, whatever her age, not Marilyn's six toes!
Did you you know that movie bosses wanted Katherine Hepburn to wear falsies when she was a rising star, because she was too flat-chested to be a "big" movie star? She told them what to do with their falsies and never looked back.
Ain't times changed!

 

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