Marilyn Monroe's face appears in an Italian field in land art tribute

In a striking tribute to the iconic Marilyn Monroe on the centenary of her birth, Italian land artist Dario Gambarin has etched a massive portrait of the Hollywood star onto a 27,000-square-meter agricultural field in Castagnaro, near Verona. The artwork, completed on June 1, captures Monroe's likeness with remarkable detail, achieved entirely by hand using a tractor, plow, and rotary harrow.

Gambarin, known for his large-scale, ephemeral artworks, emphasized that the creation of the portrait did not involve any GPS technology, grids, or preliminary tracing. This freehand approach highlights his mastery of manipulating the landscape as his canvas. The artist has a history of dedicating his land art to prominent global figures and significant themes.

His previous works include portraits of Pope Francis, Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., and Leonardo da Vinci. Gambarin has also used his unique medium to address pressing global issues such as peace, environmental protection, and contemporary history, most recently creating a tribute to the Spanish national football team after their World Cup victory.