• Intelligencer
  • The Cut
  • Vulture
  • The Strategist
  • Curbed
  • Grub Street
  • Subscribe to the Magazine Give a Gift Subscription Buy Back Issues Current Issue Contents
    Subscribe to New York Magazine
  • Subscribe
  • Profile
    Sign Out
The Cut
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
Style
  • Fashion
  • Beauty
  • Shopping
  • Design Hunting
  • New York Weddings
  • Parties & Red Carpet
  • Fashion Shows
  • Cathy Horyn
Self
  • Health & Wellness
  • Motherhood
  • Advice
  • Sex & Relationships
  • Science of Us
  • Horoscopes
  • Ask Polly
Culture
  • Books
  • Television
  • Movies
  • Music
  • Celebrity
Power
  • Politics
  • Work
  • Money
  • Rebecca Traister
More
  • Latest Stories
  • Video
  • About Us
  • The Cut Shop
  • nymag.com
  • New York Magazine
  • Intelligencer
  • Vulture
  • The Cut
  • The Strategist
  • Grub Street
September 20, 2015

See Striking Portraits of Mid-Century Icons

By Stephanie Eckardt

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s

For most of the 20th century, Cecil Beaton photographed the icons of each passing decade. He captured Salvador Dalí and Gertrude Stein in the ‘30s, Picasso in the ‘40s, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor in the ‘50s, Andy Warhol in the ‘60s — even Richard Avedon and Irving Penn were among his subjects. It follows, then, that Beaton Photographs, a new hardback monograph from Abrams, clocks in at a hefty 356 pages, impressively culled from his vast studio archive of 100,000 photos and negatives. It’s the most comprehensive retrospective of his career to date, and begins in suitable grandeur with a portrait of Queen Elizabeth and an introduction by Annie Leibovitz.

A dandy himself, Beaton was a master at staging: He captured his first-ever subjects, his sisters, dressed as duchesses and surrounded by dozens of roses, sequins, and even cellophane. The extravagance of those early sets would serve him well for capturing the theatricality of high society — eventually, he ended up bringing a painted backdrop to Buckingham Palace. His natural-seeming royal portraits, like that of smiling Queen Elizabeth, had façades equally as calculated. They were political — just like the smoldered ruins of cathedrals, museums, and monuments from the Second World War he turned into backdrops for his fashion editorials in the ‘40s.

Click through the slideshow for a glimpse at some of Beaton’s most iconic portraits, including a young Truman Capote in Bangkok, Coco Chanel amidst the encyclopedias and chandeliers of her Parisian homestead, and Mick Jagger dressed down to his plaid skivvies in Morocco.

View
1 / 14 Photos
Pavel Tchelitchew, Gala Dalí, Salvador Dalí 1936. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Gertrude Stein 1938. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Picasso With his 1943 painting The Rocking Chair, Paris, 1944. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Elizabeth Taylor c. 1953. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Audrey Hepburn 1954. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Grace Kelly 1954. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Richard Avedon, Evelyn Avedon Reddish, 1955. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Lucian Freud Coombe Priory, Dorset, 1956. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Truman Capote Bangkok, Thailand, 1957. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Julie Andrews 1959. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Coco Chanel 31 rue Cambon, Paris, 1965. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Mick Jagger Marrakech, Morroco, 1967. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Jay Johnson, Jed Johnson, Andy Warhol The Factory, New York, 1969. Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
Photo: © The Cecil Beaton Studio Archive at Sotheby’s
1 / 14

Tags:

  • gallery
  • cecil beaton
  • photography
  • audrey hepburn
  • elizabeth taylor
  • fame
  • More

More Galleries

campaign trail Apr. 12, 2021
7 Women on Where They’re Finding Hope These Days  A new fashion campaign that focuses on the positive. 
fashion Mar. 15, 2021
Dramatic Wedding Gowns Inspired by Flowers  Danielle Frankel bridges the gap between bridal and fashion. 
campaign trail Jan. 28, 2021
 The Best Fashion Campaigns From Spring 2021  This season’s best from Prada, Versace, Miu Miu, and more. 
By Florence O'Connor
in memoriam Dec. 30, 2020
30 Incredible Fashion Moments From Pierre Cardin  Remembering a creative visionary. 
By Andrew Nguyen
rest in power Dec. 23, 2020
A Photo Memorial for an Iconic Model  She passed away suddenly at the age of 50 this week. 
campaign trail Nov. 18, 2020
‘Tis the Season for New Fashion Ads  See the best ones from Gucci, Prada, Versace, and more. 
By Emily Burns
nyfw spring 2021 Oct. 26, 2020
How a Great Collection Comes Alive  Christopher John Rogers launched its first-ever online shop, along with a new campaign. 
By Andrew Nguyen
campaign trail Sept. 24, 2020
See the Fashion Campaigns for Fall 2020  From Prada, Michael Kors, Celine, Louis Vuitton, and more. 
By Andrew Nguyen
nyfw spring 2021 Sept. 22, 2020
See the Coach Spring 2021 Collection  Worn by Megan Thee Stallion, Kate Moss, Cole Sprouse, and more. 
By Andrew Nguyen
fashion Sept. 16, 2020
The Stunning Awkwardness of Face Masks on the Red Carpet  Celebrities tried to make the best of a strange situation at the 2020 Venice Film Festival. 
one word one shot Sept. 15, 2020
72 Designers on Their Spring/Summer Inspirations  Just in time for Fashion Week. 
By the Cut
red carpet Sept. 8, 2020
This Red Carpet Was Totally Surreal  But also amazing. See all the looks at the Venice Film Festival. 
By Emilia Petrarca and Andrew Nguyen
in memoriam Aug. 31, 2020
Remembering Chadwick Boseman on the Red Carpet  His style was bold, risk-taking, and always impeccable. 
the wedding files Aug. 21, 2020
The Design-Minded Couple Who Didn’t Want to Try Too Hard  The bride got a wonderful surprise the morning of her wedding. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files Aug. 14, 2020
A Costa Rica Wedding During the Rainy Season  Thunder roared during the toasts. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files Aug. 7, 2020
A San Francisco Wedding at a Big, Empty Pier  The bride changed into crushed-velvet pants for the disco-infused reception. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 31, 2020
An Elopement Among the Lupines in Iceland  The late afternoon was spent snapping photos near waterfalls and black beaches. 
By Kaitlin Menza
the wedding files July 24, 2020
A Pennsylvania Potluck for 280 People  “I looked at her for the first time and had this feeling like, You. I know you.” 
By Kaitlin Menza
milan fashion week July 22, 2020
Behind the Scenes at Gucci’s Virtual Show  Instead of models, members of the design team sported the eccentric collection. 
By Andrew Nguyen
the wedding files July 17, 2020
A Dance Party Under Puerto Rican Palm Trees  Bad Bunny blasted and pitorro flowed. 
By Kaitlin Menza
  • Style
  • Self
  • Culture
  • Power
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Help
  • We’re Hiring
  • Press
  • Trademark
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Info
  • Accessibility
The Cut is a Vox Media Network. © 2021 Vox Media, LLC. All rights reserved.