Cecil Beaton developed a distinctive style of photography where the subject was immersed in backgrounds made of unusual materials such as paper-mâché or aluminum foil. A socialite who rubbed elbows with royalty, celebrities and the wealthy aristocracy, the British photographer captured some of the most famous names of his time.
Beaton was born in London in 1904 to a successful lumber merchant and amateur actor. He received his first camera as a gift at age 11. Beaton later attended St. John’s College in Cambridge and studied art, history and architecture. He dropped out in 1925 and went to work in the family lumber business, but his free time was spent absorbed in photography.
Beaton befriended Sir Osbert Sitwell, who was captivated by his photographs and funded his first exhibition. It was an immediate sensation, leading to work with major magazines.
With a photography contract from Condé Nast, Beaton left for New York. By the end of the 1920s, he had worked as a staff photographer for Vanity Fair and Vogue. He continued to cultivate his unique portraiture style and published his work in several books. One of his greatest achievements was a commission from the British Royal Family in 1939, a relationship which endured for decades. During World War II, he served as a wartime photographer in Africa and East Asia.
After the war, Beaton returned to private portrait commissions. He also began designing costumes and sets for theater and the silver screen, winning an Academy Award for Best Costume Design for Gigi and awards for costume design and art direction for My Fair Lady. He also won costume design Tony awards for the Broadway shows Quadrille, My Fair Lady, Saratoga and Coco.
Beaton designed the sets and costumes for a production of the opera Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera in New York and then at Covent Garden, London. His diaries, which were scrapbooks of his life and interests, have garnered wide interest, and several volumes of them have been published.
On 1stDibs, find Cecil Beaton’s photography, drawings and watercolors, paintings and more.
$7,500
The Second Mrs Tanqueray Act III 1950 Haymarket Theatre Costume Watercolour by C
By Cecil Beaton
Located in Bristol, CT
Sir Arthur Wing Pinero's "The Second Mrs Tanqueray" Act III, signed Beaton (MR) from the Haymarket Theatre, London 1950 stage production. Provenance: Palm Beach Galleries...
Paper, Watercolor
$220
H 11.7 in W 8.27 in D 0.04 in
Watercolor figurative woman painting on paper "What the future holds for me"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This vibrant artwork, "What the Future Holds for Me", showcases a powerful and abstract representation of a woman seated in contemplation, wearing a flowing blue gown as she sits on ...
Paper, Watercolor
Fairy Tales Watercolor on Paper
By Dewitt M. Lockman
Located in Lake Worth Beach, FL
Fairy tales, Mixed media on paper, from the artist estate. unsigned. actual size 19"x23" framed 34"x39" Impressionistic style watercolor, drawing, pastel on paper, from the artist Estate. DeWitt Lockman began painting at the age of four in Brooklyn. By the age of seven, his family had moved to New York, where he worked with the animal painter James H. Beard. He later studied with Nelson Bickford and William Sartain. He was in Europe, principally in France, England, and Holland, from 1891 to 1892 and again from 1901 to 1902. In the years between the two European trips, Lockman painted little, suffering from ill-health. Resuming his artistic activities in the early years of the century, Lockman also served in the Office of Naval Intelligence from 1917 to 1918. He married Evelyn Walker in 1946. Although his oeuvre also includes still life and animal pictures, Lockman was most successful as a portraitist, painting over 500 works in that genre. President Calvin Coolidge, General of the Armies John J. Pershing, and Dr. Nicholas Murray...
Mixed Media, Paper, Watercolor
"Flowers, Showers" - Original Gouache Landscape Painting on Paper
By Judd Mercer
Located in Denver, CO
“Flowers, Showers” is a plein air painting by Judd Mercer, created on location in Morrison, Colorado, USA. The piece depicts a lush woodland clearing with wildflowers, aspens, and fa...
Paper, Gouache
$298
H 11.7 in W 8.27 in D 0.04 in
Contemporary figurative portrait of a faceless woman "Freedom of Choice"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This painting features a faceless portrait of a woman wearing a head green covering and pink dangle earrings. I wanted to explore the theme “Freedom of Choice”: I believe every woman has the right to decide what she wants to wear. Some women cover their heads for their own religious or spiritual reasons assuming that the crown of the head...
Acrylic, Paper, Watercolor
Mother and child.
Located in Zofingen, AG
SERIES "MANIFESTATIONS OF DIVINE." The maternal principle in Hinduism symbolizes the divine feminine energy, from which all existence is born. It embodies the power of creation, pro...
Paper, Watercolor
$190
H 11.7 in W 8.27 in D 0.04 in
"Roses in a turquoise green vase" ( acrylic floral painting on paper)
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This artwork "Roses in a turquoise green vase" is an evocative bouquet composition, masterfully rendered with expressive brushstrokes and a vibran...
Paper, Acrylic, Watercolor
$718
H 11.62 in W 8.27 in
Watercolour on arches paper by contemporary emerging artist
Located in Vilnius, Vilniaus apskr.
"Garment" acording Romain Gary "King Solomon"
Paper, Watercolor
$214
H 11.7 in W 8.27 in D 0.04 in
Contemporary abstract expressionist painting woman "To dream or not to dream"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary abstract expressionist painting with a touch of impressionism, created by French artist Natalya Mougenot, is titled "To Dream or Not to Dream". It stands as a strik...
Paper, Watercolor
$214
H 11.7 in W 8.27 in D 0.04 in
Watercolor figurative woman painting on paper "Should we love again or not? "
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary figurative piece, titled "Should We Love Again ?", by French artist Natalya Mougenot, depicts a faceless woman with dark hair, dressed in a blue gown and black high...
Paper, Watercolor
$202
H 11.7 in W 8.27 in D 0.04 in
Watercolor figurative painting of a woman on paper "A place inside of me"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This vibrant artwork, "A Place Inside of Me", showcases a bold and abstract representation of the woman’s body, employing a striking palette of vivid colors and dynamic brushwork. Th...
Paper, Watercolor
$3,817
H 17.33 in W 8.27 in D 0.4 in
1920s Pair of Documented Orientalist Watercolors by Camillo Innocenti
By Camillo Innocenti
Located in Roma, IT
Wonderful pair of Italian orientalist signed painting The first artwork Camillo Innocenti Watercolor on paper "The glorious past" Camillo Innocenti (Rome 1871-1961) Watercolor on paper. The back reports title, signature, inscription and date. The work is dated on the back September 16, 1926 Inscribed title: The glorious past, the victorious king, the construction of the temple, the sphinx. The back also reports that the work was given by the artist as a wedding gift in 1955. The second Camillo Innocenti artwork "Victorious Muhammad Ali" Camillo Innocenti (Rome 1871-1961) work on paper, with frame, Victorious Muhammad Ali. Pencil and tempera. Inscription, title, signature, and date on the back. The back reports that the work was given by the artist as a wedding gift in 1955 Thes artworks, never before on the market, comes from a private collection and is beautified by an impressive antique frame in gilded wood, in almost perfect condition. The paintings are also protected by glass Every item of our Gallery, upon request, is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Sabrina Egidi official Expert in Italian furniture for the Chamber of Commerce of Rome and for the Rome Civil Courts. Camillo Innocenti (14 June 1871 – 4 January 1961) was an Italian painter born in Rome. Biography[edit] After he studied in Lyceum, after 1889 he joined the studios of Antonio Mancini in Rome and Domenico Morelli in Naples. After a visit to Spain in 1901, he painted local folk subjects from Abruzzo (1904) and Sardinia (1908). At the 1903 Venice Biennale, he displayed his divisionist works with an attention to social topics, alongside Giacomo Balla, Enrico Lionne...
Paper, Watercolor
$381
H 16.54 in W 11.7 in D 0.04 in
Contemporary expressionist vivid watercolor painting paper " Beachside serenity"
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary vivid expressive painting, "Beachside Serenity', was created by French artist Natalya Mougenot. Using watercolor paints on heavyweight, professional acid-free paper...
Paper, Watercolor
An Athlete
By Cecil Beaton
Located in London, GB
Oil on board, signed (lower right), 56cm x 41cm, (64cm x 49cm framed). The pictures is good condition, which has been cleaned recently. The frame is the original frame, which althoug...
Oil, Board
"Cecil Beaton Self -Portrait"
By Cecil Beaton
Located in Bristol, CT
Cecil Beaton, signed verso & (stamped Fotografia de IIugo Rodrigo Octavio), Self-Portrait Art Sz: 6.75" x 8.75" Frame Sz: 12" x 14"
Silver Gelatin