About Marilyn Monroe / A Special Lecture by Yaara Keydar Following the Exhibition Tom Wesselmann: All Out (in Hebrew)
Tom Wesselmann (1931–2004), one of the leading figures of American Pop Art in the 1960s, created bold, direct images that reflected the culture of his time. The exhibition Tom Wesselmann: All Out explores how familiar images from American popular culture are transformed through his artistic language. One such work is Mouth #14 (Marilyn) , 1967, which references the iconic image of Marilyn Monroe.
On the occasion of the exhibition, we are delighted to invite audiences to a special lecture by Dr. Yaara Keydar, exploring how Monroe became one of the most influential fashion and cultural icons of the twentieth century.
Visitors are encouraged to explore the exhibition before or after the lecture. (Please note that on Tuesdays the museum closes at 9:00 PM. We recommend arriving before the lecture begins to allow enough time to visit the exhibition).
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About the Lecture:
Forever, Marilyn Monroe
Actress, model, singer, glamorous star, and enduring mystery, Marilyn Monroe remains one of the greatest legends of the twentieth century. Through her life and image, we can trace the foundations of timeless style: dazzling red-carpet gowns, effortless everyday elegance, the iconic hourglass silhouette, platinum blonde hair, and the beauty mark that became her signature.
In the America of the 1950s, Monroe was a pioneer who understood the power of fashion as a form of self-expression. She courted controversy in revealing gowns by the era's leading American designers, while in private she preferred simplicity—famously claiming that she 'wore' nothing to bed except Chanel No. 5.
Behind the blonde hair and the billowing white dress was a woman who faced profound personal struggles and spoke out against racism. Monroe remains an enigmatic figure whose legacy continues to resonate through generations of cultural icons, from Madonna onward.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Yaara Keydar is a fashion historian and curator. Her doctoral dissertation, Objects of Life: Fashion Accessories as Stories of Women's Agency and Courage during World War II, was completed in the Cultural Studies Program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
She earned her M.A. with distinction in Fashion Studies from New York University and completed a two-year curatorial internship in the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and at The Museum at FIT in New York. She also holds a B.Des. with distinction in Fashion Design from Shenkar College.
Since 2018, Dr. Keydar has lectured internationally on fashion, culture, and art, and has initiated and curated numerous exhibitions in Israel and abroad.
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Note: This lecture is in Hebrew only.
The number of participants is limited | Advance reservations are required for all participants.
Participation in the tour includes entrance ticket to the Museum.
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Image: Tom Wesselmann, Mouth #14 (Marilyn), 1967
Oil on shaped canvas
© 2026 Estate of Tom Wesselmann / Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Photo: Elad Sarig