From Queen of Pop to the absolute queen of the screen.
Madonna Covers the latest issue of V Magazine, in tribute “In Honor of Magic and Tragedy” by Marilyn Monroe.
The spread of the 63-year-old pop prophet was inspired by Burt Stern’s “The Last Sitting,” in which Monroe sat for just six weeks before her untimely death at the age of 36.
“We were not interested in exactly recreating the images but more importantly, we wanted to explore the relationship between the photographer and the subject. Both friendship and artistic process, and how art can imitate life and vice versa,” said photographer (and longtime Madge collaborator) Stephen Klein in a press release. “.
“When Madonna sent the photos, she really captured Marilyn’s glowing fragility at that moment in her life. We decided to find a hotel suite and try to capture the relationship between the star and the camera, and the mystery and magic of this creative collaboration.”
Madonna stars on four different covers, one of which sees her naked on an unmade bed, her face away from the camera. In the heartbreaking shot, the star wears nothing but fishing nets, diamonds, opera gloves, and Christian Louboutin heels.
The other three cover shots feature close-up shots of Madonna teething a strand of pearls, licking a shiny necklace—diamonds are a girl’s best friend, after all—and posing in a profile picture in a fur coat.
Inside the issue, the singer designs a vintage fur stole, Agent Provocateur corset and crystal body chain worthy of an old Hollywood siren; Throughout the photo session, she also sported Monroe’s signature platinum blonde curls and cat eye.
It’s not the first time Madonna has taken inspiration from the famous movie star; Her 1984 music video for “Material Girl” was based on Monroe’s performance of “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in 1953’s “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes”.
She also played Monroe during a “SNL” stage show in 1985, dressing the stricken actress in a sparkly strapless gown and a fluffy white stole for the Oscars post-party in 1991.
In her V magazine interview with award-winning playwright Jeremy O. Harris, Madonna opened up about staying forever young after four decades in the public eye.
“I don’t even think about my age, to tell you the truth. She said.” Even when I was I did almost everything I had [Madame X] A tour of agony, I had no cartilage in my right hip, and everyone kept saying, ‘You have to stop, you have to stop’. I said: I will not stop. I’m going until the wheels fall off. “
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