A black and white silver gelatin print of Marilyn Monroe taken by Andre de Dienes in 1949. Hand printed by de Dienes on double-weight paper and hand stamped by the photographer, on verso, with the inscription “M.M. ‘Take Me!’ 1949.” The image is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from OneWest Publishing.

André de Dienes, is one of the earliest and perhaps best known photographers of Marilyn. His life was tragically turned upside down at the age of fifteen, when his mother committed suicide; thus forcing him to leave home in search of work.Travelling across Europe, mostly on foot, he settled for a while in Tunisia, North Africa, where he made money doing odd jobs. He soon raised enough money to buy his first camera, a 35mm Retina. After capturing the beautiful local colours, he continued his travels, arriving in Paris in 1933 to study art. Whilst in the French capital, he bought his second camera, a Rolleiflex, and a life-long passion for photography was born.

As well as his iconic photoshoots with Marilyn, the ultimate photographic subject, De Dienes would go on to enjoy a celebrated career photographing such Hollywood heavyweights as Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Ingrid Bergman, Fred Astaire, Jane Russell, Anita Ekberg and Ronald Reagan.