“I wanted to bring beauty to this world, and there is very little of it left here.”
When different talents come together in one person, something grandiose occurs. One of the most talented persons was Cecil Beaton. He was photographer for Vogue magazine, who couls capture the British royal family in his lens, create interior and decoration designs, and even write memoirs. Everything that Beaton touched gained overwhelming success, won awards and was embodiment of impeccable taste. So what was the secret of popularity of an ordinary middle-class boy?
The formation of Beaton’s creative personality
Cecil Beaton was born in family that successfully traded the wood. Cecil said about his origin: “I am happy that I was born in Edwardian era: in everything that happened then, order and stability were felt. This era has managed to cultivate simple values in me and instill an exquisite taste, which I consciously or unconsciously follow throughout my life. ” Already in childhood, young future famous person in fashion world, began to show love for photography. His nanny taught him the basics of photography, and his first models were mother and sisters. Having collected an impressive portfolio, he sent his photographs to London magazines, where they were successfully printed. Photography was not his only talent; in his youth, he participated in school vocal concerts and was distinguished by extraordinary singing.
Continuing to take up photography and sending his works under the pseudonym to London magazines, Beaton entered Cambridge. His interests were: art, history and architecture. Within the walls of famous university, artistic component of his personality was formed. But as it often happens with creative people, Cecil decided not to graduate from higher education and devote himself entirely to exalted world of beauty. Thanks to his talent and communication skills, he sold his first photo to British magazine Vogue and became full-time photographer.
Career
Work at Vogue included more than just photography. Beaton was an eternal source of inspiration, creative ideas for magazine. He made a huge contribution to the formation of gloss of that time, anticipating the manner of commenting on fashionable chronicles of XX century. He wrote secular notes, painted illustrations, made military reports. Beaton immediately united three chronicles: secular, military and travel. He was remembered by contemporaries as photographer, illustrator and stylist all rolled into one.
He had a unique and subtle sense of time and fashion. His lens reflected Vogue look at past years. What this man did was a kind of retrospective on Edwardian fashion, but with a touch of modernity. That is why Cecil always managed to stay on the cutting edge of trends. In his works, achretypical features of retro-man and modern-day man have always been combined.
One of his most famous works was photographing the wedding of Duke of Windsor and Mrs. Wallis Simpson, held in 1937. In addition, Cecil subsequently became a court photographer of English Royal family.
His charm has such effect on Queen Elizabeth that once she gave him her perfumed scarf. During the Second World War, due to the recommendation of Queen, Beaton started to work in Ministry of Information and was engaged in photography in the rear. His most famous portrait – a photo of little girl who holds a bear, has become popular all over the world.
Relations with Royal family and his contribution gave him knighthood title. This is not only about his talent, but also about covering human charisma, which was talked about by many people who worked with him. Everyone whowas in fron of his lens plunged into playful, a little powdered space of aesthetics. It was more like sweet meeting, fun party of old acquaintances. And the more famous the person was, the more this model liked the approach.
He has worked with Pablo Picasso, Albert Camus, Coco Chanel, Salvador Dali, Gretta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Audrey Hepburn, Maria Callas, Winston Churchill, and many other famous and influential people. Cecil Beaton was able to feel the model and look at it through another unusual prism, it is enough to look at the photos with Marilyn Monroe.
Atypical image of our Turgenev girl turned out to be a reflection of her inner world. Here she is touching, romantic, tender and dreamy with a light touch of sexuality. Cecil stylized the shooting so that the model in the entourage was not lost and was the main character. A small bird, field camomile – elegantly and playfully at the same time.
His style is characterized by romanticism, hyperbolic theatricality and elegance. Cecil loved the abundance of accessories, interesting color schemes and played with light. In the mid-forties, Beaton’s recognizable style began to seem too exalted and outdated. People started to talk about him as an artist-decorator. All his sophisticated retro chic turned up just at the right moment in theatrical staging based on the play of Oscar Wilde’s “Fan of Lady Windermere”. He recreated the costumes of play and even played a role. But his work on costumes for the film “My Little Lady” made him popular as a designer. Beaton dressed Audrey Hepburn in stunning outfits on the verge of pretentiousness.
The abundance of lace, huge hats, large bows, feathers, flowers – all this seemed to be “too much” on Audrey’s fragile body, but Beaton never forgot about the silhouette, which extended the look and created the right proportions and harmony. “It is interesting that the same creative laws apply in fashion and art: the principles of proportion, measure and simplicity are equally important for tailor and painter. But for people from fashion world, a special charm lies in the spirit of era and in spirit of change, and also in the pursuit of luxury, and this is the primary goal, ”said Beaton. For work on this film, he received an Oscar, which made him even more popular in fashion world. And also four Tony Awards for creating costumes and stage sets for Broadway. It is amazing, how one person managed to work flawlessly on so many projects and at the same time successfully.
Personal life
Beaton was a great connoisseur of not only female beauty, but also male. As free and creative person, he had close relations with men and women of art world. His great love was Peter Watson, a collector. Although, according to rumors, there was no relationship between them – it is so common for creative people to have an unattainable muse. Beaton did not hide his personal life and made it public, he spoke frankly about the affair with American actor Gary Cooper, with whom at first only friendship connected him.
The people of cinema world have attracted his attention time and again, one of the women who fascinated him was Greta Garbo. At one of the bohemian parties, Beaton met popular actress, but did not make an impression on her. And only 14 years after the first meeting, the love that was the leitmotif of his life had reciprocity. They walked in parks, had endless conversations, he took pictures and admired her beauty. Once Greta told Cecil: “My bed is narrow, cold and chaste. I hate it”.
The photographer proposed her and they began to plan wedding. The development of their romance was monitored by the entire secular society, but, unfortunately, the wedding did not take place. Due to the fact that Cecil sent photos, that were prohibited by Greta, to Vogue magazine for publication, they had a quarrel. The actress demanded to take the pictures, but Beaton did not have time to do this and the next day the world saw beautiful photographs of Greta and collapse of relations between one of the most creative couples in America. After Cecil tried to restore confidence and repeatedly proposed her, but Greta was adamant.
Unique style
When Beaton was just starting his career, not all doors were open for him, as it seemed. Having talent wasn’t enough to be noticed in secular society. The problem was his origin. The high society of England at that time despised the middle class. In such circumstances, it was difficult to become popular, but Cecil had a unique gift of self-presentation. Today it is called a personal brand. He made his “ancestry” a hallmark of his image, combining Edwardian fashion with artistry, he wore wide-brimmed hats, long cloaks, light scarves flying in the wind. Despite theatricality of accessories, his exceptional elegant costumes looked romantic.
His love towards classic Edwardian costume, the synonym of elegance and glamor, provoked new trend in neo-Edwardian style, which formed the basis of teddy-boys uniform. Therefore, in the language of modernity, Cecil was sometimes a real trendsetter of that era. He subtly felt the time, but did not adapt to it, but as if he were outside of fashionable shackles and standards.
Beaton in any of his creative projects spoke to the audience in universal language of aesthetics. Knowing perfectly the laws of art genres, he skillfully integrated his brilliant ideas into them. That is why his product was distinguished by unique and recognizable style. He not only created beauty, he was the embodiment of it. That is why in 1970, he entered International list of Hall of Fame of the most stylish people and Cecil Beaton was recognized as a style icon.
Last years of life
In 1974, Beaton had a heart attack, and he lost the sensitivity of right side of body, but this did not stop the creator. He learned to draw with his left hand and continued to work, creating new interesting projects. When in spring of 1979, Parisian fashion designers began to dictate fashion for elegance, French Vogue proposed cooperation to Beaton. After all, he was the only skilled manipulator with camera working in this style. The magazine published as many as 46 pages of photographs. The editors called it as return back to the era of Sir Cecil Beaton. His project received a tremendous feedback and overwhelming success. Everyone again remembered “maestro of elegant photography” and began to address him with new orders. Perhaps this could be a new round in Cecil’s career, but old age overcame him and after one at the age of 76 he died.
Contribution to Fashion World
Cecil Beaton was universal soldier in fashion world. He did not serve her, but he was the fashion world. He lived and worked for her with only one purpose – to decorate reality. If you create a retrospective, then undoubtedly his photographs will be reflection of spirit of that time. The famous films “Gigi” and “My Little Lady” – the embodiment of style thanks to the contribution of Cecil. Glossy British magazine Vogue would not be so without his pictures, and many celebrities would not have their best portraits.
Photography, design, decoration, illustration – Cecil Beaton owned all genres of visual art and skillfully juggled them throughout his life. The main traits of his character were courage and risk. He said: “Be brave, be different, be impractical, be the one who upholds the integrity of goal and creative vision in the fight against players – without risk – creations of everyday life, slaves of mediocrity”. One cannot fail to agree that, because the death for any creator comes at time when he becomes predictable and simple. And immortality comes when, like butterfly set in amber, the subject of artist’s art is forever remembered in history.
