Up Close with Marilyn by Milton H. Greene, Proud Galleries, London

All hail the arrival of Hollywood's greatest screen siren: Marilyn Monroe. Marilyn comes to London's Proud Galleries in one of the most Instagrammable art exhibitions London has to offer this spring. Eternalised in popular imagination by Warhol, Cocoa-Cola and that Chanel No. 5 campaign, Monroe is arguably one of the most famous women in the world. Sexy, provocative yet undeniably vulnerable, her timeless allure continues to fascinate today.

The Black Sitting, 1956 © The Archives LLC / Iconic Images

But now we can see her as never before. In this small art gallery exhibition, rare Monroe photographs taken by celebrity photographer Milton Greene go on show for the very first time. Noted for his haute couture fashion shoots in Vogue and Harper's Bazaar, Milton is also known for his photographs of celebrity personalities including Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra and Audrey Hepburn. Following their first collaboration in 1953, Monroe and Milton became firm friends and business partners, together establishing the company ‘Marilyn Monroe Productions’.

The Rock Sitting, 1954 © The Archives LLC / Iconic Images

Giving Monroe ownership of her image and career, Milton encouraged her to step away from the ‘ditzy blonde’ roles that she had become known for. Infatuated with Monroe's multi-faceted personae and ability to perform for the camera, he photographed the starlet more than 3000 times in 50 different settings.

In this series of large-scale photographic prints, Monroe's fragility, vulnerability and intoxicating sexuality come to light as never before. Off the beaten track, but Instagram heaven, this bijou Monroe exhibition is one to make a beeline for.

The Ballerina Sitting, 1954 © The Archives LLC / Iconic Images