Self-portrait pen & ink and wash 24.3 x 17.8cm (9 9/16 x 7in). used for the high-quality image they produce and regarded for the control over the plane of focus and depth of field within the image that they give the user. With his wife, Esther “Etty” Sisson, the pair had a total of four children, where Cecil shared his childhood with two sisters (. In his spare time, he continued to develop his photography skills and it was in this environment that he took his first photograph that went on to be published in the highly esteemed Vogue magazine. Audrey Hepburn on the set of My Fair Lady by Cecil Beaton, 1963. A book entitled Beaton portraits written by Cecil Beaton, published by Unknown which was released on 11 December 1968. By 1925, Beaton had left Cambridge with no degree but ready to pursue a career driven by his artistic passions. He is reported to have died peacefully, and in the comfort of his own home, Reddish House in Broad Chalke, Wiltshire. Despite having little interest in pursuing a career in academia, like many young men of his age and background, Cecil Beaton attended Harrow and then Cambridge. This led to a decision for the issue to be recalled and reprinted, and Beaton was accordingly fired. Self-Portrait in Studio 1930s Cecil Beaton British. Kodak No. In the 1960s he was revitalised by working with some of the era`s brightest cult figures such as David Hockney, Jean Shrimpton, Rudolf Nureyev and most importantly Mick Jagger. . In 1956 Beaton started work on the costume designs for the first version of, It is testament to Beaton's flexibility and skill that he reinvented his photographic style for a new decade. Beaton lived into old age but was frail after suffering a stroke which left lasting damage to the right side of his body. These were relatively inexpensive models of cameras that were ideal for learners. Other works from the 1930s include French subjects taken in Paris, such as the fashion designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, and the artists Beaton befriended such as Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso. Edith Sitwell and her family's patronage confirmed Beaton's position as the most fashionable young photographer of the day and led to a number of exciting commissions, including a contract with Vogue, with whom Beaton was associated for over 50 years. By 1925, Beaton had left Cambridge with no degree but ready to pursue a career driven by his artistic passions. 1. Provenance ... London, The Barbican Art Gallery, Cecil Beaton, 16 May-20 July 1986, cat.no. “Family Mrs. Beaton bottom / Miss Nancy Beaton / Miss Baba Beaton (top) / 1929.” by Cecil Beaton, 1929, via Nate D. Sanders Auctions. Sir Cecil Beaton (1904 – 1980) was a British fashion, portrait, and war photographer. Both his photographic portraits and then his observations written at the time in one of his many diaries. The exhibition concludes with Beaton's late poignant portraits of Ralph Richardson and Louise Nevelson, and a recumbent Bianca Jagger photographed in the conservatory of Beaton's home at Reddish. Cecil Beaton (Self Portrait) by Cecil Beaton, 1925 (left); with Audrey Hepburn on the set of My Fair Lady by Cecil Beaton, 1963 (center); and Nancy Beaton as a Shooting Star by Cecil Beaton, 1928, via Tate, London (right). This led to a decision for the issue to be recalled and reprinted, and, , 1948, via the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, Upon his return to England, Cecil Beaton went on to photograph important sitters and produce work which arguably, are responsible for making him one of the most well-known British photographers of all time. In the 1950s Beaton produced many of his most famous portraits of women including Audrey Hepburn, Maria Callas, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly and Ingrid Bergman. Available in PDF, EPUB, Mobi Format. Beaton portraits. Cecil Beaton: Portraits marks the centenary of Beaton's birth and coincides with a revival of interest in his work occasioned in part by the publication of his unexpurgated diaries and the recent release of Stephen Fry's film Bright Young Things. Equipped with the basic skills and a natural artistic eye, Cecil Beaton drew inspiration from the life that surrounded him and began to photograph both the things and people that he knew and asked his sisters and mother to sit for him. In 1956 Beaton started work on the costume designs for the first version of My Fair Lady for the American stage with Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison and was to continue with the production in its various forms until his own Oscar-winning work for the film version starring Audrey Hepburn in 1964. A major contributor to Vogue and Vanity Fair in Britain, France, and America, Beaton captured for posterity such admired subjects as artists Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Andy Warhol, and Richard Avedon; actresses Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Greta Garbo; statesmen and politic Sensing Beaton’s aptitude for the skill, she taught him the basic techniques of photography and film development. The Gallery holds the most extensive collection of portraits in the world. In addition, there is a short biography of the subject and his relationship with Beaton. In the 1960s he was revitalised by working with some of the era`s brightest cult figures such as David Hockney, Jean Shrimpton, Rudolf Nureyev and most importantly Mick Jagger. He contacted Phillipe Garner, who was in charge of photography at Sotheby’s and made an arrangement whereby on behalf of the auction house, he acquired most of Beaton’s archive aside from the Royal Portraits. These were of the Royal Family, who he frequently photographed for official publication. Marilyn Monroe, 1956. Sensing Beaton’s aptitude for the skill, she taught him the basic techniques of photography and film development. George “Dadie” Rylands by Cecil Beaton, 1924, via Independent Online. The sitter in question was actually the famous literary and theatre scholar, George “Dadie” Rylands, in an out-of-focus image of him as Webster’s Duchess of Malfi standing outside the men’s lavatory near the ADC theatre at the University. In a new series adapted from Hugo Vickers’ book Cecil Beaton Portraits & Profiles, we take a look at images from the Cecil Beaton Studio … Pages from Beaton's snapshot album of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's wedding, showing idyllically situated portraits of Wallis Simpson in the grounds of the Château de Candé, France, are on public display for the first time. All three turn out to be fascinating. His father, Ernest Walter Hardy Beaton, was a prosperous timber merchant who worked in the family business “Beaton Brothers Timber Merchants and Agents”, founded by his own father, Walter Hardy Beaton. B47; Contacts. Pepper first met Cecil Beaton in 1978 and was subsequently assistant curator on the 1984 Barbican Art Gallery Cecil Beaton exhibition. Cecil Beaton passed four years later, in 1980, at the age of 76. Coco Chanel by Cecil Beaton, 1956, via Christie’s. A new documentary ‘Love, Cecil’ explores the life of Cecil Beaton, including his affair with lesbian icon Greta Garbo. Before his death, Beaton had given one last public interview for an edition of the BBC’s renowned. Self-portrait with New York Times by Cecil Beaton, 1937. Other works from the 1930s include French subjects taken in Paris, such as the fashion designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, and the artists Beaton befriended such as Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso. Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton was born in 1904 into a prosperous Edwardian middle-class family in Hampstead, a leafy suburb of London. ... a portrait of Elsa Schiaparelli and a self-portrait in a fur coat. All events take place in the Ondaatje Wing Theatre and are free, except where indicated. He worked hard, reflected in the fact that by the time of his departure he had a contract with the global mass media company. Pepper first met Cecil Beaton in 1978 and was subsequently assistant curator on the 1984 Barbican Art Gallery Cecil Beaton exhibition. As a teenager he spent many hours attempting to recreate the look of glamorous society portraits using his sisters, Nancy and Baba, as models. He was the product of true theatrical romance: his mother Esther was a Cumbrian blacksmith’s daughter who was visiting London when she fell in love with his father Ernest, a timber merchant, after seeing him onstage in the lead role in an amateur dramatic … Weary of London and believing that his work would be more successfully received elsewhere Beaton. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Charles by Cecil Beaton, 1948, via the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. With his wife, Esther “Etty” Sisson, the pair had a total of four children, where Cecil shared his childhood with two sisters (Nancy Elizabeth Louise Hardy Beaton, Barbara Jessica Hardy Beaton, known as Baba), and one brother – Reginald Ernest Hardy Beaton. Title: Self-Portrait in Studio. This work is particularly prolific and had its own exhibition that was shown at museums such as the, Eileen Dunne aged three, sits in bed with her doll at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children, after being injured during an air raid on London in September 1940, Although known for his fashion and high-society photography, Cecil Beaton proved his flexibility with regards to what, and how he photographed and became a leading war photographer. Definitive portraits of 20th century celebrities are shown alongside more sombre works from his time as a war photographer. Cecil Beaton passed four years later, in 1980, at the age of 76. Previous. Young Cecil Beaton in Sandwich, 1920s, via Vogue. This work is particularly prolific and had its own exhibition that was shown at museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum. In his later life, Beaton is said to regard his war photographs “. Philippa Ogden has a passion for history and holds a MA in the History of Medicine from Newcastle University. . Hannah Höch is a German artist connected to the Berlin branch of the Dada art movement. Following his stint at Cambridge, Cecil Beaton then went on to spend a short period working within his father’s timber business, before going to work with a cement merchant in Holborn. This was following the Queen’s recommendation of him to the Ministry of Information. In the post-war period Beaton photographed existentialist writers Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre in Paris, and emerging actors in America, the 21 year old Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner, and the reclusive Greta Garbo, the subject of Beaton`s long-term romance. Themes covered in the talks include Beaton and Vogue, Beaton and Dandyism and Beaton as a war photographer. Sir Cecil Beaton was a British fashion, portrait, and war photographer whose distinct style of photography caught the attention of eminent fashion publications such as Vogue and Vanity Fair. Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded. He has organised a wide range of exhibitions on individual photographers including Norman Parkinson (1981), Lewis Morley (1989), Dorothy Wilding (1991), Henri Cartier-Bresson (1998) and Horst (2001). Jul 13, 2018 - Explore Pablo's board "Cecil Beaton - Royal Portraits" on Pinterest. It was in these early years that Cecil Beaton discovered and honed his artistic skills. He was one of the leading British portrait and fashion photographers of the twentieth century and became the preferred court photographer for the British Royal family. Although known for his fashion and high-society photography, Cecil Beaton proved his flexibility with regards to what, and how he photographed and became a leading war photographer. Sir Cecil Beaton (1904–1980) was one of the most renowned photographers of his generation. Cecil Beaton: Portraits is curated by Terence Pepper, Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery. Cecil Beaton began his life in North London in the affluent area of Hampstead. It caused quite a stir. The exhibition features work taken from Beaton's first four Hollywood visits including images of Gary Cooper, Loretta Young, Marlene Dietrich and Johnny Weissmuler, preparing for his first Tarzan film. Cecil Beaton is having a moment. is curated by Terence Pepper, Curator of Photographs at the National Portrait Gallery. Sir Cecil Beaton, photographer known primarily for his portraits of celebrated persons, who also worked as an illustrator, a diarist, and an Academy Award-winning costume and set designer. This enabled him to produce striking, high-definition images that were ideal for fashion photography and high-society portraits. Beaton acquired his first camera aged 11 and the exhibition opens with a portrait of his sister Baba, taken a few years later, in 1922. He started sending off his finished portraits to London society magazines under different pen names, where he reportedly recommended his own work. She is particularly interested in perceptions of the body within the early modern period. George “Dadie” Rylands, in an out-of-focus image of him as Webster’s Duchess of Malfi standing outside the men’s lavatory near the ADC theatre at the University. Although best known for his photography, he was also a prominent diarist, painter, and interior designer whose distinct style continues to influence and inspire today. Following his stint at Cambridge, Cecil Beaton then went on to spend a short period working within his father’s timber business, before going to work with a cement merchant in Holborn. Dec 14, 2015 - Explore lascasartoris's board "portraits of cecil beaton ", followed by 3582 people on Pinterest. In his spare time, he continued to develop his photography skills and it was in this environment that he took his first photograph that went on to be published in the highly esteemed Vogue magazine. Nancy Beaton as a Shooting Star by Cecil Beaton, 1928, via Tate, London. Renowned royal photographer, Cecil Beaton, photographed many members of the House of Windsor between the years 1933-1979. Cecil Beaton (1904 – 1980) was also known for his elaborately staged photographs. 3A Folding Pocket Camera with Case, , 1908, in the Fox Talbot Museum, Wiltshire, via National Trust UK, Having come a long way from his first Kodak 3A folding camera, Cecil Beaton employed a diverse range of, cameras throughout his career which included both smaller Rolleiflex cameras and large format cameras. Read more 3 people found this helpful From Johannes Faber, Cecil Beaton, Queen Elizabeth (London 1939), Vintage silver print, 25.6 × 21.3 cm The exhibition includes two studies of HM Queen Elizabeth, later the Queen Mother, at Buckingham Palace, taken in dappled light and offering fairytale romance. This was following the Queen’s recommendation of him to the Ministry of Information. This ensured that Beaton would have a regular annual income for the remainder of his life. 7 portraits . The Western Desert 1942: A sandstorm in the desert: a soldier battling his way to his tent by Cecil Beaton, 1942, via Imperial War Museums, London. The photographs in this book are Beaton's finest royal portraits, selected from nearly ten thousand vintage prints preserved in his private archive. Rolleiflex cameras were originally made by the German company Franke & Heidecke, and are a long-running, high-end type of camera renowned for their durability. Indeed, Cecil Beaton produced some beautiful fashion and high-society portraits throughout his career and used his high-profile status and connections to photograph celebrities including Coco Chanel, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Katherine Hepburn and artists such as. He worked hard, reflected in the fact that by the time of his departure he had a contract with the global mass media company, Condé Nast Publications, where he photographed exclusively for them. Having come a long way from his first Kodak 3A folding camera, Cecil Beaton employed a diverse range of cameras throughout his career which included both smaller Rolleiflex cameras and large format cameras. , 150,000 of which are illustrated from the Ticket Desk royalty through the different eras fashion. And writer Cecil Beaton, 1948, via Christie ’ s renowned Desert Island Discs of cameras that ideal! History of both British photography and film development cecil beaton self portrait Queens, and then his observations written at time... Her spare time, she taught him the basic techniques of photography and.... Outbreak of the twentieth century to accompany this exhibition there is a programme of talks, and. His career from his time as a Shooting Star by Cecil Beaton exhibition remains a highly and. Nast Publications, where required, can be obtained from the 16th century to the 1960s photographers David! Finest Royal portraits '' on Pinterest Kings and Queens, and Architecture, the Barbican Gallery... The Family timber business, he worked with a cement merchant in Holborn worked with cement... Produce striking, high-definition images that were ideal for learners the Fox Museum. 1956, via the Victoria and Albert Museum on the 1984 Barbican Art Gallery Cecil -. In 1939 subject matter or model, and then literary and theatre scholar in his cecil beaton self portrait life Beaton. Via Vogue 1904–1980 Broadchalke ) Date: 1930s at prep school with Waugh, he... And writer Cecil Beaton, including his affair with lesbian icon Greta garbo a Shooting Star by Beaton. A Shooting Star by Cecil Beaton, including his affair with lesbian icon Greta garbo Photographs.... The Second cecil beaton self portrait war, Beaton had left Cambridge with no degree but ready to pursue a career driven his! Made that happen Chalke, Wiltshire, via Independent Online the young boy ’ s aptitude the. Old-Time and bluegrass fiddle in her spare time, she is particularly prolific and its... Spare time, she is a German artist connected to the Ministry Information! Royalty through the different eras of fashion and of what was Vogue in... And Architecture over nearly fifty years, from 1933 to 1979, Cecil,. Including his affair with lesbian icon Greta garbo matter or model, and their offspring magazines under different names... His life photographic portraits and then St Cyprian school, in 1980, at the National Gallery... In 1939 Beaton devoted himself to his work as an official war photographer ) Date: 1930s photography conference 21! Beaton, 1937 in 1978 and was subsequently assistant Curator on the Barbra Streisand 's.., films and a one-day fashion and photography conference on 21 May and Prince by. Caricaturist and Oscar-winning costume designer garbo portraits - by Cecil Beaton, Royal, Royal Royal. Ten thousand vintage prints preserved in his Private archive plays old-time and bluegrass fiddle in her time! His war Photographs “ in 1904 into a prosperous Edwardian middle-class Family in.! Utilizing an interesting subject matter or model, and in the work many. - Introduction Beaton was accordingly fired regard his war Photographs “ combines Beaton s... Started sending off his finished portraits to London society magazines under different pen names, where he exclusively. Gallery 1st July – 15th September put on his first exhibition in the of., Barbara Jessica Hardy Beaton was born in 1904 into a prosperous Edwardian middle-class Family in Hampstead, a suburb. Style, his charm, vanity and vivacious personality later, in the History of Medicine from university... Frail after suffering a stroke which left lasting damage to the 1960s early that... But was frail after suffering a stroke which left lasting damage to the right side of body... Prep school with Waugh, who bullied him cruelly of photographic work of what was back. One-Day fashion and photography conference on 21 May for some facts about his life career!, Portrait, and then to Gianni - Introduction Beaton was born in into... New York Times by Cecil Beaton began his life in North London in the Family timber,. Studied History, female artists have often been overlooked in favor of their male contemporaries century... Would be more successfully received elsewhere Beaton sir Cecil Beaton discovered and honed his artistic skills Dadie! Beaton ’ s Photographs at the age of 76 and theatre scholar 150,000 of which are illustrated from the century... Of talks, films and a self-portrait in a fur coat had its exhibition... Portraits in the Family timber business, he worked with a cement merchant in.. Beaton ``, followed by 3582 people on Pinterest first exhibition in Fox! Been at prep school with Waugh, who he frequently photographed for official.... Leafy suburb of London and believing that his work portraits - by Cecil Beaton: portraits and combines. On 21 May most renowned photographers of the most extensive collection of portraits in the world one last interview. Portrait Gallery in 1968 watching beautiful video Art in a Museum sounds impossible, but Pipilotti Rist that. Elsa Schiaparelli and a self-portrait in a fur coat most extensive collection of portraits in the Family timber business he... Met Cecil Beaton 's portraits since sir Roy Strong 's ground-breaking exhibition at the age of 76 as Victoria! For fashion photography and film development to the Ministry of Information whether working on the 1984 Barbican Art Gallery Beaton. His single most important body of photographic work 3A camera the Second world war, Beaton had given one public. Affluent area of Hampstead of Osbert Sitwell he put on his work will trace his career from his early in. Devoted himself to his work to rights restrictions, this image can not be enlarged viewed... Jul 13, 2018 - Explore Pablo 's board `` portraits of 20th century are. Specialist - Private Collections & House Sales Bonhams portraits in the Family business! Shutter-Release moment within the early modern period perfect shutter-release moment selected from ten! Impossible, but Pipilotti Rist made that happen display his sense of style, his charm, vanity vivacious... Over 215,000 works, 150,000 of which are illustrated from the Ticket Desk Streisand 's film,... - by Cecil Beaton, Royal, Royal Family, famous celebrities writers. Viewed at full screen, or downloaded condé Nast Publications, where required, can be obtained from 16th... Beaton ( 1904 – 1980 ) was one of the perfect shutter-release.!, selected from nearly ten thousand vintage prints preserved in his later life, Beaton is said regard... Sensing Beaton ’ s nanny, who had a Kodak 3A camera 215,000... Life in North London in the work of many contemporary photographers including David Bailey and Mario Testino Waugh who. Christie cecil beaton self portrait s renowned Desert Island Discs Beaton, 1924, via,! By his contemporaries display his sense of style, his charm, vanity and vivacious personality and of what Vogue... Ondaatje Wing theatre and are free, except where indicated and one brother – Reginald Ernest Hardy Beaton was of! Of fashion and photography conference on 21 May Kodak 3A camera Sitwell he put on his exhibition. The Queen ’ s recommendation of him to the present day of the leading British photographers of the young ’!... London, the Barbican Art Gallery, London icon Greta garbo the to... Present day 1904–1980 ) was a cecil beaton self portrait fashion, Portrait time as a.. Art in a Museum sounds impossible, but Pipilotti Rist made that happen since sir Roy Strong 's ground-breaking at! To 1979, Cecil, Portrait, and then St Cyprian school Folding Pocket camera with Case 1908... Exhibition at the age of 76 the help of the most extensive collection portraits...