Visit London Blog » cecil beaton http://blog.visitlondon.com Enjoy the very best of London Fri, 24 May 2013 14:17:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 The Queen: Art and Image at the National Portrait Gallery http://blog.visitlondon.com/2012/05/the-queen-art-and-image-at-the-national-portrait-gallery/ http://blog.visitlondon.com/2012/05/the-queen-art-and-image-at-the-national-portrait-gallery/#comments Thu, 17 May 2012 14:01:14 +0000 Aly http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=26500 The National Portrait Gallery celebrates the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee with a new exhibition, The Queen: Art and Image.

Portraits from legendary artists including Cecil Beaton, Andy Warhol, Lord Snowdon and Lucian Freud show the changing image and public perception of the Queen over the years, with a mixture of formal and candid shots. 

A highlight is the majestic 1954-55 painting of Her Majesty by Annigoni, which is rarely displayed and is reunited with another of his portraits from 1969. These paintings immediately caught my eye and reminded me of the powerful image the Queen conveys.

I especially enjoyed the reminder of the Queen’s early years and the powerful image she displayed even then.

]]> http://blog.visitlondon.com/2012/05/the-queen-art-and-image-at-the-national-portrait-gallery/feed/ 0 Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration at the V&A http://blog.visitlondon.com/2012/02/queen-elizabeth-ii-by-cecil-beaton-a-diamond-jubilee-celebration-at-the-va/ http://blog.visitlondon.com/2012/02/queen-elizabeth-ii-by-cecil-beaton-a-diamond-jubilee-celebration-at-the-va/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:05:54 +0000 Zoe Craig http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=25339

Today marks the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the throne. There are celebrations taking place throughout the city, including a gun salute from the Tower of London at lunchtime.

This morning, the V&A gave me a sneak preview of the special exhibition they’re running to mark The Queen’s 60 years on the throne. Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton is an exhibition of the best photographs from the V&A’s collection of royal photography. Opening on Wednesday, the show presents The Queen across the years, examining the portrayals of her as a princess, a monarch and a mother.

It’s an intimate show, staged in five small sections on the ground floor of the V&A. The intimacy of the space reflects the incredible relationship between the photographer and his subject: Beaton took photos of the royal family for more than 60 years, capturing The Queen in her teens in the 1940s right through to his final portrait of her in 1968. He was the photographer chosen to take the first pictures of Prince Charles when he was born; Beaton went on to commemorate the birth of each of Elizabeth’s children. He was also present at the Coronation and produced the famous official portrait photographs in the Green Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace.

The striking thing about the V&A’s new show is the sense you get of a family passing through time. Early shots of Prince Philip look just like William today; baby photos of Prince Charles look rather like any other baby photo from the late 1940s. And in one striking photo of The Queen with Charles and the baby Anne, Beaton has captured the happy smiles of what could be any young mum excited about the arrival of her second child. It’s fascinating to see such familiar faces lit up with emotion for Beaton’s camera.

Alongside the photographs are diary extracts, letters and other artefacts revealing even more about the unique relationship Beaton had with the Royal Family. I’d recommend getting the audio guide to hear even more about the show. A charming video in the section on Beaton at the end shows the photographer chatting with David Hockney and other friends and contemporaries. He seems to be a thoroughly charming man: witty and elegant.

There’ll be plenty more ways to examine The Queen’s legacy this year (a BBC series The Diamond Queen starts tonight), but for one that intimately captures a young princess becoming a mother, then a monarch, then a mature woman, this is surely one of the best.

Visit the Diamond Jubilee section on our main site for all the special events taking place this year.

]]> http://blog.visitlondon.com/2012/02/queen-elizabeth-ii-by-cecil-beaton-a-diamond-jubilee-celebration-at-the-va/feed/ 0 Five Major London Art Exhibitions to See in 2012 http://blog.visitlondon.com/2011/12/five-london-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-2012/ http://blog.visitlondon.com/2011/12/five-london-art-exhibitions-to-see-in-2012/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:30:11 +0000 Hannah Collingbourne http://blog.visitlondon.com/?p=24630

This year we enjoyed blockbuster exhibitions including Miró at Tate Modern, Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery and Degas at the Royal Academy.

So which will be the most talked-about shows in 2012? Here are five to look out for:

  • Lucian Freud Portraits, National Portrait Gallery: More than 100 works by the artist who died in July 2011, including his portrait of Benefits Supervisor Sue Tilley. 9 Feb-27 May
  • Damien Hirst, Tate Modern: The first substantial survey of Hirst’s work in the UK, featuring his famous Pharmacy installation and shark in formaldehyde. 5 Apr-9 Sep
  • Picasso and Modern British Art, Tate Britain: Major exhibition bringing together Picasso’s work and that of admirers such as Henry Moore and David Hockney. 15 Feb-15 Jul
  • David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture, Royal Academy of Arts: Exhibition spanning 50 years and showcasing brand new landscapes, iPad drawings and films. 21 Jan-9 Apr
  • Queen Elizabeth II by Cecil Beaton: A Diamond Jubilee Celebration, Victoria and Albert Museum. One of several major exhibitions celebrating the Diamond Jubilee. 8 Feb-22 Apr

Which exhibitions are you looking forward to in 2012? Let us know in the comments below.

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