The National Portrait Gallery in London is currently hosting a spectacular exhibition titled "Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World," featuring the work of one of the 20th century's most influential photographers and designers. The exhibition showcases Beaton's extraordinary contributions to fashion photography, portrait art, and costume design, spanning from the Jazz Age through the 1950s and including his Oscar-winning work on "My Fair Lady."
Cecil Beaton, often referred to as "The King of Vogue," was a transformative force in both British and American creative scenes throughout the 20th century. During the 1920s and 1930s, he photographed everyone from the Bright Young Things and debutantes to royalty, later expanding his reach to Paris and New York for fashion shoots and to Hollywood for celebrity portraits. His multifaceted career encompassed fashion illustration, Oscar-winning costume design, social caricature, and writing, ultimately elevating fashion and portrait photography to an art form.
The current exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery focuses specifically on Beaton's groundbreaking fashion work, which served as the foundation for his later successes. Visitors can view his era-defining photographs that captured beauty, glamour, and star power during the interwar and early post-war periods. The exhibition spans multiple locations that were central to Beaton's career, including London, Paris, New York, and Hollywood, showcasing his most triumphant work from the Jazz Age through the high fashion brilliance of the 1950s.
Among the exhibition's highlights are portraits of some of the 20th century's most iconic figures. The collection includes stunning photographs of legendary actresses Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor, and Marlon Brando, as well as distinguished portraits of Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret. The exhibition also features Beaton's work with renowned artists, including portraits of Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon, and Salvador Dalí.
The exhibition goes beyond photography to include a comprehensive collection of Beaton's creative output. Visitors can explore his personal letters, portrait sketches, fashion illustrations, and costume designs, providing a complete picture of his artistic range and influence. These diverse materials demonstrate how Beaton's work extended far beyond simple photography to encompass multiple forms of artistic expression.
Despite his effete public presentation and high-pitched upper-class voice, Cecil Beaton was much more than merely a hanger-on in high society circles. In many ways, he could be credited with inventing the society of his time, or at least what became known as Society with a capital S. A BBC documentary made during his lifetime reveals how this middle-class boy from North London became the decorative genius of his era and a man for whom surface presentation was everything.
The documentary, titled "Behind The Glitter," provides additional insight into Beaton's life and work, complementing the physical exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Together, both the exhibition and the documentary reveal the remarkable surface that Beaton created throughout his career, showcasing his ability to capture and define the glamour and style of multiple decades.
The exhibition represents a comprehensive look at Beaton's most successful period, highlighting his journey from the Jazz Age through his Oscar-winning triumph with "My Fair Lady." Through his lens, visitors can experience the beauty, glamour, and star power that defined the interwar and early post-war eras, as captured across the fashion capitals and entertainment centers of London, Paris, New York, and Hollywood.
