Born in Paris in 1942, Marie-Claire Montanari came to New York in 1968 to work at the United Nations.

She began studying photography seriously in 1973, taking workshops with Harold Feinstein, master printing with George Tice and lighting with Phillip Halsman.

She then became a student and friend of Lisette Model who followed her work for many years.

Marie-Claire Montanari began doing nude portraits of women on a commission basis in 1985.

In addition to her nudes, her work includes studies of the streets of New York, particularly of her downtown Broadway neighborhood, the antique furniture center, and Wave Hill, the internationally known botanical gardens located in the Bronx.