In honor of the upcoming reprint of Marilyn Monroe: The Complete Last Sitting, I have chosen my favorite Bert Stern picture of Marilyn. When I first saw this picture in Norman Mailer's Marilyn, I didn't even know who Marilyn was, but I was completely entranced. She is bathed in pure light, nothing but her natural body and two rumpled scarves that appear as soft as rose petals. Marilyn's curves are soft, flowing, and beautifully proportioned, and the way she is holding her body combined with the expression on her face give the picture a sensuous, dreamy quality. I always thought of the Venus de Milo looking at this picture, as my father had a small reproduction of that masterwork on his desk.
