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Abrams Books

The Art of the SNL Portrait

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Description

The electric spirit of Saturday Night Live as captured by longtime resident photographer Mary Ellen Matthews. A New York Times bestseller! Andy Samberg in a giant martini glass. Billie Eilish peeking out of a pile of snow. Kevin Hart writing his own cue cards. Paul Rudd as Paul McCartney. Sarah Silverman dusting the NBC marquee. Alec Baldwin as the Godfather. These are just a few examples of Matthews's bold, dynamic, and playful celebrity portraits that for over two decades have artfully highlighted the hosts and musical guests who help bring the show to life. This lushly produced book is the perfect gift for comedy fans. Week after week, photographer Mary Ellen Matthews makes magic happen on Saturday Night Live with her inventive, irreverent, and truly original photography for the “bumpers”―portraits of the host or musical guest that transition the show to and from commercial breaks. Published on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of SNL and exquisitely designed by Pentagram, this book is the first collection of Mary Ellen’s remarkable body of work as well as a celebration of America’s longest-running comedy TV show. Includes: More than 200 color portraits and behind-the-scenes photographs A foreword by SNL founder and executive producer Lorne Michaels Mary Ellen Matthews in conversation A thumbnail index of all the images with captions by the photographer Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harry N. Abrams


Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 4, 2025


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 272 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1419782533


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 34


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 9.6 x 1.2 x 11.55 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #38,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #16 in Celebrity Photography #19 in Portrait Photography #29 in Television Comedy


#16 in Celebrity Photography:


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Superb Coffee Table Book to Impress Guests Superb Coffee Table Book to Impress Guests
Format: Hardcover
Review Image by Thomas Moore
Gorgeous coffee table book. Astonishing, vibrant photos from throughout SNL’s history.
Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2026 Reviewed in the United States on April 2, 2026 by Thomas Moore
    • Great coffee table conversation piece!
Format: Hardcover
I love it! It makes a great coffee table book and a conversation piece.
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2026 by Vivek Pandey
    • Great book but photo layout questionable.
Format: Hardcover
This could have been a 5 star review. I love the size of the book, the quality of the storytelling and of course the amazing creative photographs. It’s such a feel good book. Colorful and nostalgic. HOWEVER, many of the photos are ruined by the way they were placed… several with the books seam running right through the photograph. I’m still happy with my purchase but kind of bummed too. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2026 by Tina
    • Art!
Format: Hardcover
The Art of the SNL Portrait succeeds quite well as a celebration of Mary Ellen Matthews’ work. It offers strong visual moments, satisfying behind-the-scenes insight, and captures something of the weekly creative challenge that is often invisible to viewers. If you care about how SNL looks, how its visual identity is made week by week, this book is a gem. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 6, 2025 by Olivia
    • Don’t just look, read this book too!
Format: Hardcover
Don’t just look at the pictures, read the text in this book too! There are so many wonderful surprises from the commentary of Lorne Michaels and Mary Ellen herself, especially towards the back of the book. Look for the index of photos. It’s amazing.
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2025 by Darla Dee
    • Amazing photos, terrible layout
Format: Hardcover
I was really looking forward to this book, but kind of underwhelmed. The layout was disappointing as others have said and I feel like better pictures could’ve been included rather than some of the ones that were chosen. Overall still cool to have.
Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2025 by OliversMama
    • Great behind-the-scenes insights on SNL’s photo bumpers by Mary Ellen Matthews
Format: Kindle
I’ve been a fan of Mary Ellen Matthews’ SNL portrait photography, so I’ve been waiting patiently (for years) for this monograph of her work. This book doesn’t disappoint as it provides wonderful behind-the-scenes insights into Ms. Matthews’ creative process in producing the SNL bumper portraits each week. Since taking over as head SNL photographer from her mentor, the legendary Edie Baskin in 1999, these shots have evolved into telling their own stories and with new visual technologies, such as animation. As SNL creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels wrote in the book’s foreword: “Mary Ellen is both an artist and a star.” ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 5, 2025 by The Hawk
    • SNL Fan must have
Format: Hardcover
Awesome book!! Great for SNL fans
Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2025 by Kelly

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