Earlier this week, controversy erupted when it was revealed that among the items from Michael Jackson’s final home that will be going up for auction next month is the bed that the King of Pop died in. And rightfully so. Beyond the morbidity of putting such an item up for sale, there’s also something incredibly sacred about a person’s bed. It’s the private space where all of us can relax and truly let our guards down — something that’s rare for celebrities who are used to being “on” all of the time. That said, we’re not immune to voyeuristic tendencies, especially when it comes to our favorite cultural icons. Perhaps that’s why we find these intimate bedroom photos of people like Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, and David Bowie so fascinating; like seeing childhood photos of these artists, there’s something about finding an image of them shot in repose that’s incredibly humanizing. It offers such a rare glimpse into their everyday lives. Click through our gallery, and let us know in the comments if you agree.
Andy Warhol sitting on a bed in the 1950s. Photo attributed to Edward Wallowitch, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh. [via]
Kurt Cobain [via]
Patti Smith and Sam Shepard on her bed in the early ’70s. Photo credit: Judy Linn. [via]
Vladamir Nabokov writing in a notebook in his bed, 1958. Photo credit: Carl Mydans. [via]
A 13-year-old Elizabeth Taylor in bed with her pet chipmunk, Nibbles. [via]
Bob Dylan, NYC, 1963. Photo credit: Don Hunstein. Image courtesy of Morrison Hotel Gallery
Marilyn Monroe in bed, 1962. Photo credit: George Barris. [via]
Salvador Dalí in bed, projecting pieces of dirty paper “to stimulate his inspiration,” 1964. © Philippe Halsman / Magnum Photos [via]
Truman Capote, Kansas, 1967. Photo credit: Steve Schapiro. [via]
Woody Allen writing in bed, 1996. Photo credit: Arnold Newman. [via]
David Bowie, 1969. ©Ray Stevenson. [via]
Madonna, NYC, ’80s. [via]
Ernest Hemingway reading The New York Times in bed. Photo credit: George Leavens. [via]
Georgia O’Keeffe at her ranch home, 1966. Photo Credit: John Loengard. [via]
William S. Burroughs, Paris, 1959. Photo credit: Loomis Dean. [via]