bert Stern
Bert Stern (1929–2013) began his career as a mailroom boy at Look Magazine. The launch of his career would coincide with his iconic and legendary campaign for Smirnoff Vodka in 1955. With the brilliance of that work, he became a star in the world of advertising. Editorial work followed and working for VOGUE put Bert Stern at the pinnacle of his career in the 1960’s. Sought after by Madison Avenue, Hollywood, and the international fashion scene for decades, Stern became the prototype of the fashion photographer as the embodiment of glamour- a legend himself.
Stern's artistic legacy is experienced through his unique portraits of celebrities, particularly his intimate photographs of Marilyn Monroe. These were the last photographs taken of Marilyn prior to her death in August 1962. Known as “The Last Sitting”, Stern shot them for Vogue Magazine over two weekends at the Bel-Air hotel in Los Angeles in June and July. Among the highlights are rarely seen photographs and jeweled uniques that capture the essence of Stern's creativity and his exceptional ability to blend artistry with storytelling. The exhibition serves as a tribute to his enduring influence on photography and pop culture.
Stern’s photographs have been exhibited at and/or are included in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts in Texas, The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts in Canada, The J. Paul Getty Museum in California, the Musée Maillol in France, the Hermitage Museum in Russia and many more.
