Marilyn Monroe Portrait Made from 65,000 Swarovski Crystal

Images: Claire Milner

R&B superstar Rihanna commissioned artist Claire Milner to create the largest head portrait of Marilyn Monroe made from 65,000 Swarovski crystals.

The sparkling work of art is 5-feet by 5-feet and has 65,000 hand set crystals attached to Acrylic. The piece took Milner four months to create and it weighs and impressive 80 kilograms. It was created for Rihanna’s new Los Angeles home.

Milner says the portrait was inspired by Marilyn’s own words and various images of the late star.

“In my portrait I tried to capture some of the complicated and contradictory aspects of Marilyn – the glitter and the public façade, the sadness in the eyes,” says Milner. She wanted people to think about the person behind the headlines when they look at the portrait.

The crystals used in the portrait have mirror-like qualities and according to the artist, the image changes mood in different light conditions.

Milner will be exhibiting her artworks in 2012, including dancers, animals and landscapes in mixed media and Swarovski crystals.

August 5, 2012 is the 50th anniversary of the death of Marilyn Monroe.