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Cecil beaton: photographs from the national portrait gallery

october 18, 2007-january 6, 2008

Join the Chrysler Museum of Art this fall for the unveiling of Cecil Beaton: Photographs from the National Portrait Gallery, London commemorating the long and varied career of one of the most celebrated portrait photographers of the 20th century. The exhibition will be featured in a special duel-opening at the Museum with The Secret Lives of Frames: 100 Years of Art and Artistry from the Lowy Collection on Wednesday, October 17, 2007 at 10:00 a.m. Admission on Wednesday is by voluntary contribution.

Cecil Beaton (British, 1904–1980) Self Portrait, 1927 Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, London

Museum Members are invited to a special preview of both exhibitions on Tuesday, October 16, 2007 at 7 p.m. with special guest Professor Gail Buckland, Beaton’s former colleague and close friend, who will deliver a lecture titled, Friends, Family, Lovers and Luminaries: The Photography of Cecil Beaton. Buckland will discuss her personal and professional experiences with Beaton in addition to his close relationships with the individuals he photographed during his career. Admission to the lecture is free for Museum Members and $25 for Non-Members.

Beaton wore many hats as an accomplished illustrator, painter, writer, and diarist, but he was best known for his images of well-known faces from the worlds of fashion, literature, and film. A professional “chameleon,” Beaton developed a reputation for having the unique ability to adapt to rapidly changing fashions, enabling him to capture a diverse range of subjects on camera.

Cecil Beaton (British, 1904–1980) Marilyn Monroe (1926–1962), February 26, 1956 Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, London

This exhibition features several images of Hollywood’s most distinguished and glamorous celebrities including Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Twiggy, Harold Pinter, Mick Jagger, Jackie O, and Tarzan’s Johnny Weissmuller. Other images include fashion designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli, artists Jean Cocteau and Pablo Picasso, and British royals Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mum.

Cecil Beaton: Photographs from the National Portrait Gallery, London, spans 50 years of Beaton’s career and includes portraits that demonstrate how he cleverly mixed his mastery of composition with the ability to capture the spirits of those he admired most. Many of the images on display are “essays” in theatrical organization or design, while others show the skill of a painter in their tones, contrasts, and highlights.

Beaton’s classic 21st–century portraits not only allow future generations to view this era’s most prominent historical icons, but it also affords individuals the chance to see a career devoted to life as a form of theatre.

The exhibition is on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, London and will remain on view at the Chrysler Museum until January 6, 2008.

Cecil Beaton (British, 1904–1980) Audrey Hepburn (1929–1993), 1954 Courtesy of National Portrait Gallery, London

 

For general information, please call (757) 664-6200. For media information, please contact the Office of Communications at (757) 333-6295 or communications@chrysler.org.