Becoming Jewish: Warhol’s Liz and Marilyn

Celebrate the centennial of Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson) with a look back at the Jewish Museum’s exhibition Becoming Jewish: Warhol’s Liz and Marilyn (Sep. 25, 2015 – Feb. 7, 2016) and explore Andy Warhol’s portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor.

The public personas of Elizabeth Taylor and Marilyn Monroe were constructed, but when they converted to Judaism, the change for both women was personal and profound. The exhibition drew parallels between the actresses’ identities as Jewish women and Warhol’s exploration of their celebrity through his image-making. Warhol’s iconic paintings of the actresses in the 1960s coincided with the end of the Golden Age of Hollywood and an upsurge in consumer culture. Jewish consciousness and openly Jewish celebrity were also on the rise. The fact that Hollywood’s blonde bombshell and violet-eyed siren were both converted Jews was significant: it signaled a growing popular acceptance of Jewish public figures. 

This class, taught by Nelly Silagy Benedek, Deputy Director, Education & Programs, the Jewish Museum, explores Andy Warhol’s portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor, the tabloid world they embodied, and the relationship of the actresses’ public personas to their private identities as Jewish women.

This course is presented in partnership with Roundtable at 92NY. For inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Tickets: General: $30; Member: $21