A late icon of the 1940s revived herself through never-before-seen photographs at the HGU New York Hotel on Tuesday night.
Marilyn Monroe’s “The Red Party”, a collection of photographs curated by Shannah Laumeister Stern, in collaboration with Keyes Art and The Bert Stern Trust, graced the walls of a private reception showcasing Monroe’s intimate moments with photographer Bert Stern before her passing.
These limited edition prints known as “The Last Sitting” spanned over the course of three months at the Bel Air Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Vogue magazine’s art director chose 10 of Stern’s photographs to publish in the September issue, a month after her death. Before it was too late to halt the presses, “The Last Sitting” became print’s final memory of Monroe.
The elements of the photographs were captured in black and white, sepias and small themes of red. The rawness of the images portrays elegance and playfulness, such as one of Monroe covering her breasts with rose petals, as well as her draped in a Dior gown — which became the cover of the issue.
Attendees of the reception were able to purchase the iconic images and support the Australian Wildfires Disaster Relief. The exhibition runs from February 4th – March 4th and the images range from the mid-thousands up to $12,000 dollars. In addition to being the temporary home of the photographs, HGU New York Hotel’s restaurant, Lumaca, is having a special “Marilyn” menu for the month of February to honor the exhibition.
For more information about HGU New York, visit www.hgunyc.com.
