Eve Arnold’s Unseen Side of Marilyn Monroe Unveiled in When We Were Brilliant—The Story Behind the Iconic Photos

Marilyn Monroe’s life off the silver screen remains a subject of endless fascination. Now, When We Were Brilliant, a forthcoming novel by Lynn Cullen, offers a unique lens into the personal and professional relationship between Monroe and legendary documentary photographer Eve Arnold. The book delves into the transformation of their work and friendship, exploring how the two women, from different backgrounds, became intertwined in ways that shaped their lives forever.

A Meeting of Minds: Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold

In 1952, Monroe met Eve Arnold, who would go on to capture some of the most intimate and candid images of the actress. Initially, Arnold was skeptical about working with the then-burgeoning star, but the more time she spent around Monroe, the more she found herself drawn into her orbit. This evolving relationship, both professional and personal, is central to Cullen’s When We Were Brilliant, which will be released later this year by Berkley.

The novel’s synopsis reveals that their collaboration was “exceptional and complicated,” mirroring the complexities of Monroe’s public persona and private life. While Arnold was initially hesitant to photograph the rising star, she soon realized that the photos they would take together would reveal a side of Monroe few had seen before. Arnold’s documentary style—unlike the studio setups many photographers preferred—was a departure from the norm and allowed Monroe’s true character to emerge on film. This partnership between the two women would go on to produce some of the most iconic images of Monroe, showcasing her in a light that was both candid and vulnerable.

Lynn Cullen’s Fascination with Monroe

Lynn Cullen, the author of The Woman with the Cure and Mrs. Poe, has been fascinated by Monroe for most of her life. In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Cullen shared that her interest in Monroe began when she was just eight years old, watching The Seven Year Itch on television. “I worried about her. To this impressionable little girl, she seemed to be a bright butterfly flitting away from everyone’s net. She made me worry about becoming a woman. Was that how it was for us?” Cullen explained. Despite this early sense of concern, Monroe’s courage and radiant spirit gave Cullen hope, and from that moment, Cullen has longed to write about Monroe.

The idea to focus on Monroe’s relationship with Eve Arnold came to Cullen after discovering Arnold’s unique approach to photographing Monroe. “Eve’s photos of Marilyn looked different than everyone else’s,” Cullen shared. “Yes, Eve was a photojournalist who shot film using whatever lighting was available, unlike most of Marilyn’s other photographers who worked in a studio, but that didn’t explain everything.” It was the unspoken stories behind Arnold’s photos that led Cullen to explore their relationship further, culminating in When We Were Brilliant.

A Moment That Changed Their Lives

An excerpt from Cullen’s novel reveals the pivotal moment that set their friendship in motion. In a washroom at an event, Monroe, in her trademark glamorous yet casual style, approached Arnold, who was at the time photographing a different celebrity, Marlene Dietrich. Monroe, impressed by Arnold’s photo of Dietrich, struck up a conversation that led to a surprising proposition. Monroe suggested that they could “help each other,” sharing a vision of showcasing a side of herself that had never been seen before.

Monroe’s boldness, combined with her vulnerable yet commanding presence, intrigued Arnold, who had never taken a photo in a studio before, preferring the rawness of documentary photography. Monroe’s challenge to Arnold was not only artistic but deeply personal, as Monroe sought to control her narrative in a way that had eluded her for much of her career. Their agreement to work together marked the beginning of a profound collaboration that would define both their careers in unexpected ways.

A Shared Legacy

Cullen’s When We Were Brilliant reimagines the powerful bond between Monroe and Arnold, highlighting how their relationship transcended mere photography and entered the realm of mutual understanding and emotional connection. As the novel unfolds, readers will witness the growth of their friendship, fueled by a shared desire to reveal the unguarded truth of Monroe’s life and persona.

While the friendship between Monroe and Arnold remains iconic, the collaboration also reveals the struggles they faced—Arnold with her identity as a female photographer in a male-dominated field, and Monroe as a woman constantly defined by the media and her public image. Their work together was not just about capturing an image, but about redefining what it meant to be seen and understood in an often unforgiving world.

Reimagining Monroe’s Legacy

Through this fictionalized retelling, Cullen aims to shed light on the nuances of Monroe’s life and career, offering readers an intimate look at the woman behind the public figure. Monroe’s collaboration with Eve Arnold allowed her to express a different side of herself—one that was not defined by the Hollywood lens but instead by her own vulnerability and complexity.

In When We Were Brilliant, Cullen honors the transformative friendship between Monroe and Arnold, reminding us that the images we see on screen or in magazines only tell part of the story. Behind those iconic photos was a deeply personal connection that shaped both women’s legacies and continues to inspire new generations of artists, photographers, and fans alike.

Conclusion

When We Were Brilliant offers a fresh perspective on one of Hollywood’s most iconic figures, Marilyn Monroe, by focusing on her lesser-known, yet profoundly important, relationship with photographer Eve Arnold. Through this exploration, Lynn Cullen brings Monroe’s story to life in a way that honors both her public persona and her personal journey, highlighting a friendship that was as groundbreaking as it was intimate. Fans of Monroe and those fascinated by the complex layers of fame will find When We Were Brilliant a compelling and heartfelt tribute to an extraordinary woman.