André de Dienes was an American-Hungarian photographer most known for his iconic images of famed actress Marilyn Monroe.

Born in 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 began his photography career in earnest. While in Paris, Dienes landed a job as a photographer for the Communist newspaper L’Humanité, before transitioning to fashion photography through various Parisian couturiers. By 1938, Dienes had connected with Arnold Gingrich, editor and co-founder of Esquire magazine, who helped him move to New York City.

Once in NYC, 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 Dienes began to desire more creative fulfilment from his work, delving into artistic personal projects that allowed him to experiment outside of the confines of his editorial career.

Once in California, André de Dienes honed his personal style. In addition to fostering his relationship with a young Marilyn Monroe, California introduced Dienes to his passion for photographing nudes and landscapes.

Ultimately collaborating with Monroe for almost a decade, 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, Dienes’ images of Marilyn Monroe remain some of his most acclaimed work and some of her most enduring images.

Outside of his personal projects, Dienes supported himself on the west coast by freelancing for film studios, photographing other notable individuals such as Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley Temple, Fred Astaire, Anita Ekberg, and Ronald Reagan. Dienes also established a reputation for himself as a pioneering figure in the experimental darkroom techniques of the time, with publications such as U.S. Camera, Figure Quarterly, Figure Annual, and Classic Art Photography featuring articles about Dienes’ processes—particularly his photomontage technique. André de Dienes also had an interest in the surreal, and produced many images in the vein of other surrealist Hungarian photographers, such as André Kertész.

André de Dienes died in his beloved Hollywood, CA at the age of 71 on April 11, 1985.