André de Dienes was a Hungarian-American photographer most known for his iconic images of famed actress Marilyn Monroe. Ultimately collaborating with Monroe for almost a decade, de Dienes was able to capture intimate moments with one of America’s most prolific stars throughout various stages of her life—from her humble beginnings as Norma Jeane Baker at 19 years old, all the way to the Marilyn Monroe steeped in fame and glamour, just a few years before her untimely demise. Indeed, de Dienes’ images of Marilyn Monroe remain some of his most acclaimed work and some of her most enduring images.

Born Andor György Ikafalvi-Dienes on December 18, 1913 in Turia, Translyvania (present-day Romania), Dienes sought more for himself than his difficult upbringing and eventually emigrated to Paris in 1933, where he changed his name and began his photography career in earnest. While in Paris, de Dienes landed a job as a photographer for the Communist newspaper L’Humanité, before transitioning to fashion photography through various Parisian couturiers. By 1938, de Dienes had connected with Arnold Gingrich, editor and co-founder of Esquire magazine, who helped him move to New York City. Once in NYC, de Dienes continued to work in the realm of print editorial photography, publishing frequently in Vogue, Esquire, and Life magazines. Despite his success as an editorial photographer, it was in New York City that de Dienes began to desire more creative fulfillment from his work, delving into artistic personal projects that allowed him to experiment outside of the confines of his editorial career.

Committing to his creative vision, de Dienes left behind his commercial work in NYC and set out west. Prior to his arrival in Hollywood in 1944, de Dienes spent time in the American Southwest photographing Native American tribes such as the Hopi, Apache, and Navajo. De Dienes’ images of Native Americans show an altogether different side of his photographic eye, resulting in an exquisitely beautiful body of work documenting the rich culture of indigenous people in the American Southwest.