A Defining Moment:
William John Kennedy
at the National Portrait Gallery

There are moments in the life of a collection that come to redefine its place within the cultural landscape. The forthcoming presentation of William John Kennedy’s photograph of Andy Warhol with the Marilyn acetate at the National Portrait Gallery marks one such moment. Its inclusion within the Marilyn: A Portrait exhibition, marking the centenary of the ultimate screen icon Marilyn Monroe, represents a profound institutional acknowledgement.

Captured in New York during the early 1960s, Kennedy’s photograph reveals Warhol holding the acetate that would give rise to his Marilyn works – iconic images that have come to embody the Pop Art era. The significance of the photograph lies not only in its subject, but also in its proximity to creation. It is not a portrait of a finished idea, but of one in formation.

Suspended between concept and execution, the Marilyn acetate speaks to the immediacy of Warhol’s practice and the mechanics behind one of the most recognisable bodies of work in 20th century art, including the painting of the legendary actress that would later achieve $195 million at auction. As such, the image stands as rare surviving visual evidence of the material process behind these works, a significance that has been acknowledged within Christie’s catalogue scholarship.

The work also holds an established institutional presence, with an edition held within the permanent archive of The Andy Warhol Museum. Considered alongside its presence within Christie’s catalogue scholarship, its forthcoming inclusion at the National Portrait Gallery represents a rare convergence of archive, market and institution, a trajectory that speaks to the enduring cultural and art historical significance of the image.

This moment carries deeper historical resonance.In 1968, works connected to Warhol’s Marilyn imagery were presented at the Sidney Janis Gallery, where they were shown alongside the work of Richard Avedon, creating a powerful dialogue around a singular cultural icon. Decades later, Kennedy’s photograph returns to this lineage as it is brought into the National Portrait Gallery’s exhibition, once again positioned within a conversation of images that have come to define Marilyn Monroe’s enduring presence in visual culture.

For The Warhol Kennedy Residence this presentation is both a milestone and a continuation. It affirms the enduring relevance of the collection, while opening it to new audiences and contexts. More than an exhibition, it is an alignment between archive and institution, between past and present, between image and legacy.It is not only a recognition of William John Kennedy’s eye, but of the rare and fleeting moments he captured, moments that continue to shape how we understand art, authorship and cultural memory.

Marilyn: A Portrait exhibits at The National Portrait Gallery from 4 June - 6 September 2026