Rihanna has splashed out £100,000 on a portrait of Marilyn Monroe

The `We Found Love` hitmaker commissioned British artist Claire Milner to create the huge picture of the tragic Hollywood icon using 65,000 Swarovski crystals and then spent thousands of pounds to have it shipped to her home in Beverly Hills.

Claire told The Sun newspaper: "I tried to show the glitter of the public life and the sadness in Marilyn`s eyes. Because of who Rihanna is everything had to be done through her interior decorators. But they told me afterwards that she loved it.

"A 100 per cent Swarovski crystal portrait is very luxurious - people stand and stare because it constantly changes colour, sending rainbows round the room."

Rihanna is a huge fan of the `Seven Year Itch` star, previously revealing she and close pal Katy Perry once both chose the same Dolce and Gabbana dress inspired by Marilyn to wear to the Metropolitan Institute Costume Gala.

She said: "One time we were going to the Met Ball, and Katy phoned me to check. We were like, `Oh My God`, we were both going in this dress by Dolce and Gabbana with Marilyn Monroe`s face all over it.

"She was like, `You can`t. I`ve had my nails done in mink and it matches the dress. I thought, seeing as she`d gone to all that effort, I`d let her wear it."

sections: Celebrities