Monica Bellucci Steals the Spotlight Again in Sultry Numéro Magazine Shoot

Tena Milakovic
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Few actresses have a relationship with fashion photography as long and storied as Monica Bellucci’s. She began modeling as a teenager in her Italian hometown, and decades later, the camera still seems to adore her. The latest Monica Bellucci Numéro Magazine shoot serves as a fresh reminder of why editors continue to call on her.

The images circulating online are rich, painterly, and unmistakably dramatic. In one shot, she stands in a long black sheer gown with billowing sleeves, one hand resting at her waist beside a simple wooden stool against a weathered grey-blue wall. In another, she reclines across a dark table surrounded by figs, berries, and citrus, with a wine glass nearby and sheer black gloves completing the look.

Numéro has been one of Bellucci’s most loyal editorial homes. The French magazine’s September 2024 issue featured confessions from the actress, photographed by Jean-Baptiste Mondino, about her 30-year friendship with Dolce & Gabbana. This creative circle also produced the book ‘Monica by Dolce&Gabbana’, published by Rizzoli with creative direction from Numéro editor-in-chief Babeth Djian and 12 new Mondino portraits.

The exact credits for the images now circulating haven’t been confirmed in the sources reviewed, so it’s best not to assume which issue or photographer they come from. What is clear is how naturally they fit the magazine’s sensual, art-driven visual language.

Bellucci has often been candid about the pressure and pleasure of being constantly photographed. In a Numéro interview from 2020, which the magazine updated this June, she joked that she is probably a little narcissistic, otherwise she wouldn’t be an actress. In the same conversation, she mentioned that you can never have enough compliments.

This mix of humor and self-awareness is a significant part of her appeal. She treats beauty as a tool rather than a trap and has never shied away from acknowledging how her image has shaped her career.

These editorials come during a particularly active stretch for the 62-year-old. She returned to the Cannes Film Festival in May, wearing a Fendi gown by Maria Grazia Chiuri, and has been fronting the Fendi Peekaboo 2026 campaign. This month, she also landed a cover for Elle France and appeared in Vogue Italia in April.

On screen, she stars in ‘Histoires de la nuit’, a rural thriller by director Léa Mysius adapted from a book by Laurent Mauvignier. The film competed at Cannes this year and reached French cinemas on September 16, 2026. Numéro spoke with her about the film just before its release, where she reflected on how her body, her working instrument, has changed with age.

Part of what keeps Bellucci relevant is her willingness to take on roles that challenge her glamorous reputation. In ‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’, she played Delores, a woman covered in scars, which required three hours of makeup every day. She told Numéro that it didn’t bother her, praising the film’s artistry from the character design to Colleen Atwood’s costumes.

She also starred in ‘Paradis Paris’, the tragicomic film by Marjane Satrapi, portraying a former opera singer mistakenly declared dead. Her stage work has included portraying Maria Callas at the Théâtre Marigny, showcasing her comfort in moving between film, theater, and fashion.

The new Numéro pictures resonate because they lean into mood rather than simple glamour. The sheer fabrics, the still-life of fruit, and the strong shadows evoke classical painting as much as modern fashion. It’s a style that rewards patience, and Bellucci possesses the presence to hold a frame.

Her career exemplifies how much staying power an image can have when paired with real creative range. A model-turned-actress who has collaborated with filmmakers across Europe and Hollywood, she remains a muse to major houses and magazines. Every new editorial adds another chapter to a visual legacy that spans over 30 years.

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