Marilyn Monroe’s Personal Favorite Photograph of Herself by Cecil Beaton

In 1956, Marilyn Monroe sat for one of the most important photographic sessions of her career with renowned photographer Cecil Beaton. Already celebrated for his elegant portraits of royalty, cultural icons, and Hollywood legends, Beaton brought a distinctly refined and introspective approach to photographing Monroe, revealing a side of her rarely captured on film.

From this historic sitting emerged what Marilyn Monroe herself would later identify as her personal favorite photograph of herself.

Marilyn Monroe ordered large-format prints of this portrait, each carefully mounted and preserved within its own protective folder. She personally signed and presented them as gifts, choosing recipients at her discretion. Today, three original prints of this exact image are preserved within The Marilyn Monroe Collection, underscoring its deeply personal significance to Monroe.

Unlike the overtly glamorous studio publicity images that defined much of her career, Beaton’s portrait presents Monroe in a softer, more contemplative light. The photograph emphasizes her natural beauty, vulnerability, and emotional depth rather than the exaggerated sexuality so often demanded by studios and publicity departments.

Taken during a pivotal year in her life, the 1956 Beaton sitting coincided with Monroe’s emergence as an independent creative force. That same year, she formed Marilyn Monroe Productions, asserting control over her career and challenging the studio system that had long dictated her public identity.

Beaton’s portrait stands apart not simply as a beautiful photograph, but as a rare instance in which Monroe saw herself reflected in a way she accepted and embraced.

Cecil Beaton And The 1956 Sitting

Cecil Beaton was among the most distinguished photographers of the twentieth century, known for his portraits of Queen Elizabeth II, Audrey Hepburn, Greta Garbo, and countless other cultural figures. His 1956 session with Marilyn Monroe marked a departure from conventional Hollywood photography.

Rather than emphasizing spectacle, Beaton sought to capture Monroe’s inner life. His portraits reveal a thoughtful, introspective woman—an artist conscious of her image, yet striving to transcend it.

This period was one of profound transformation for Monroe. Having recently married playwright Arthur Miller and established her own production company, she was actively reshaping both her career and her identity. Beaton’s photograph reflects this moment of transition, capturing not merely a movie star, but a woman claiming ownership of herself.