Harewood House in Yorkshire will showcase over 50 images by legendary photographer Cecil Beaton including iconic portraits of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth II.
Cecil Beaton: Staging Icons will take visitors on a journey through Beaton’s extraordinary career as a photographer to the stars. Featuring era-defining portraits such as those of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, Fred Astaire, Queen Elizabeth II and others, the display will look at Beaton’s approach to image-making through the art of performance as well as Harewood’s own connections to the photographer’s world.
The exhibition, running from 13th June until 4th October, will bring together more than 50 photographs from the National Portrait Gallery which is organising the display in partnership with Harewood House, some on display to the public for the first time.
An extraordinary force: the life and style of Cecil Beaton
Beaton’s first love was the stage, and it left a profound mark on his ground-breaking photographic style. Using elaborate backdrops, theatrical props, costume, lighting and dramatic composition, he blurred the line between reality and artifice, transforming his portraits into a work of visual theatre.
His bold and creative vision was also demonstrated through his work for the Royal Family. He was appointed royal photographer in 1939 and his revolutionary portraits propelled the monarchy into the modern age, creating images that were both strikingly glamorous and remarkably intimate.
“Beaton’s impact on portraiture, and how we visualise British culture, cannot be underestimated.”
Miranda Stacey, head of national partnerships at the National Portrait Gallery
Links between Beaton and Harewood
Staging Icons will feature archive material from Harewood’s collection; Beaton photographed numerous members of the Lascelles family and visited Harewood on several occasions during the 60s and early 70s.
Several portraits on display feature George and Patricia Lascelles, 7th Earl and Countess of Harewood, who shared Beaton’s passion for the performing arts. Through their successful careers in music, the couple were personal friends with many of Beaton’s sitters, such as the opera singer Maria Callas and composer Benjamin Britten. Harewood’s historic visitor book, featuring Beaton’s signature, as well as a hand-drawn Christmas card, will also be on display.
Zoë Hughes, head of public programme at Harewood House Trust, said: “Beaton’s visits to Harewood in the 60s and 70s is just one example of how the site has long been a source of inspiration for artists.
“Today, Harewood continuously reimagines what makes a historic country house, and by working with the National Portrait Gallery for the first time to bring together Beaton’s work and the House’s rich history, we offer our visitors the chance to step into his glamorous world and see icons, stars, and royals amongst the beautiful backdrop of the House.”
Miranda Stacey, head of national partnerships at the National Portrait Gallery added: “Beaton’s impact on portraiture, and how we visualise British culture, cannot be underestimated. Whether capturing a monarch or a muse, Beaton shaped the public imagination through his use of fantasy, beauty, and the art of performance.”
For more information about the exhibition click here.
Entry to it is included with general admission to Harewood. For general group visit information go to harewood.org.
