The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2026 - Issue 39

biteexhibition Images courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery Marilyn Monroe - A Portrait at NPG - Marilyn Monroe, Mount Sinai, Long Island 1955 by Eve Arnold which Monroe sits on the beach, wrapped in a blanket, her hair tousled by the wind, sunlight softening the edg- es of her expression. Here she could exist rather than perform: she smiles, thinks, and drifts into a moment of introspection with ease. The photographs are tender without being sentimental, capturing a woman who was luminous and palpably human. The National Portrait Gallery is an apt setting for this story. Its mission to explore how portraits shape public memory aligns perfectly with Marilyn’s legacy. Her face is one of the most recognisable in modern history, but recognition is not understanding. The exhibition invites viewers to look again, to see the woman behind the im- age, and to consider how she used photography as a tool of fame and as a means of self‑expression. Marilyn Monroe: A Portrait is on at the National Por- trait Gallery until 6 September 2026. National Portrait Gallery St. Martin’s Place London WC2H 0HE www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/mari- lyn-monroe-a-portrait