1945. This is not the only occasion on which André photographed Norma Jeane on a highway, but for me it’s the best. I love the contrasting textures of her bolero and pants, and the way André has thrown his subject into sharp relief against a blurry, almost abstract background. Then there’s the whole road/journey metaphor which, according to André, is particularly apt in this case because Marilyn is about to take a new turn on her journey to stardom…
These pictures, Norma Jeane sitting on the ground, on a country road – are her last pictures as a professional model. Next year, in 1946, she elected herself to become an actress! She was determined, strong-willed! She wished to succeed!
Photo by André de Dienes.
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