Zita-and-Teresa-Jungman-1927-Cecil-Beaton

Cecil Beaton

B. United Kingdom, 1904-1980

The Works

14

1

Cecil Beaton

Lady Loughborough Under a Bell Jar

1927

Silver gelatin print, printed before 1945, mounted on board

2

Cecil Beaton

Anna May Wong

1930

Silver gelatin print, mounted on card, printed 1970s

3

Cecil Beaton

Edith Sitwell

1926

Silver gelatin print, mounted on card, printed c. 1927

4

Cecil Beaton

Zita and Teresa Jungman

1927

Silver gelatin print, mounted on card, printed 1920s

5

Cecil Beaton

Marianna Van Rensselaer In Charles James Hat

1930

Silver gelatin print, mounted on card, printed 1970s

6

Cecil Beaton

Georgia Sitwell, Renishaw

1930

Silver gelatin print, printed later

7

Cecil Beaton

Talullah Bankhead

1930s

Silver gelatin print, printed 1930s

8

Cecil Beaton

Models wearing Schiaparelli Desk Suit, ‘Vogue’

1936

Silver gelatin print, mounted on board, printed before 1945

9

Cecil Beaton

Meraud Guinness

1930s

Silver gelatin print, mounted on card, printed 1930s

10

Cecil Beaton

Elsa Schiaparelli

1936

Silver gelatin print, printed c.1936

11

Cecil Beaton

Ruth Ford, Paris

1936

Silver gelatin print, printed before 1945, mounted on board

12

Cecil Beaton

Merle Oberon

1930s

Silver gelatin print, printed before 1945, mounted on board

13

Cecil Beaton

Louise, Comtesse Palfy

circa 1938

Silver gelatin print, printed before 1945, mounted on board

14

Cecil Beaton

Greta Garbo

1946

Silver gelatin print, printed later

Cecil Beaton

B. United Kingdom1904-1980

B. United Kingdom1904-1980

Biography

Cecil Beaton was an influential photographer, illustrator, costume and set designer. Beaton is known for his elaborately decorated and intricate backdrops, which often nod towards Surrealism. A prominent member of the ‘Bright Young Things’, Beaton photographed a generation of glitzy young aristocrats and socialites including Edith Sitwell and Stephen Tennant. Throughout the decade, though, Beaton’s most frequent sitters were his two sisters, Nancy and Barbara, known as ‘Baba’. The sisters proved useful props for the young photographer, as he experimented with backdrops, materials and photographic techniques.

As a fashion photographer, Beaton worked for Vogue in London, Paris, and New York. Throughout the 1930s, he shot Hollywood film stars for Vanity Fair, revealing an increasing reliance on close-ups of the face, often strongly modelled by contrasting light and shade, and also the increasing incorporation of floral motifs. Beaton’s aesthetic remained highly artful if not so brazenly artificial. After photographing Queen Elizabeth in Buckingham Palace in 1939, Beaton was invited to become the Royal photographer of choice. Finally, Beaton was appointed as an official photographer for the Ministry of Information in 1940. Beaton’s contributions as a stage designer to the films, Gigi (1958) and My Fair Lady (1964) gained him Oscars and made him a household name. 

Cecil Beaton was born in London in 1904. He was awarded a CBE in 1956. His work has been presented in major exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery, London; the Museum of the City of New York, USA; and the Imperial War Museum, London. 

Discover

5

Exhibitions

2

Cecil Beaton: Vintage Works

1.7 - 15.92020

Closed

LADY-MILBANKE-1929-by-SIR-CECIL-BEATON-BHC1408

Cecil Beaton: Early Works

26.4 - 20.52017

Closed

By continuing to use this site you consent with our cookie policy. You can read more here.

Enquire

Please enter your email address and a member of our sales team will contact you with more information

Thank you for your enquiry. We will be in touch shortly.