Photograph
March 1945 (Photographed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
One of twenty-two photographs from a contact print; which has been cut out, arranged and mounted on card. Depicting Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) Buckingham Palace, 1945. Seated, three-quarter length, to left. Wearing an oval neck crinoline gown with puffed sleeves, designed by the British fashion designer Sir Norman Hartnell (1901-1979). The dress is embroidered with sequins to form floral patterns. The princess also wears a double-string pearl necklace. She turns away from the camera, her expression still and thoughtful; she is seen in profile with her hands resting in her lap. Light from behind her, highlights her shoulders and the curls in her hair, as well as illuminating fresh flowers which surround her. A backdrop depicts an enlarged and adapted section of 'The Swing' by the French painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | photography |
| Brief description | Royal Portrait by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980). One of twenty-two photographs from a contact print; which has been cut out, arranged and mounted on card. Depicting Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) Buckingham Palace, 1945. |
| Physical description | One of twenty-two photographs from a contact print; which has been cut out, arranged and mounted on card. Depicting Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) Buckingham Palace, 1945. Seated, three-quarter length, to left. Wearing an oval neck crinoline gown with puffed sleeves, designed by the British fashion designer Sir Norman Hartnell (1901-1979). The dress is embroidered with sequins to form floral patterns. The princess also wears a double-string pearl necklace. She turns away from the camera, her expression still and thoughtful; she is seen in profile with her hands resting in her lap. Light from behind her, highlights her shoulders and the curls in her hair, as well as illuminating fresh flowers which surround her. A backdrop depicts an enlarged and adapted section of 'The Swing' by the French painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732-1806). |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Gallery label | Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, Buckingham Palace
March 1945
After each royal sitting, Beaton would send a selection of the best photographs to the Palace for official approval before publication. Small prints of the approved photographs would be mounted on card, together with their negative numbers, to facilitate future print orders. The worn-out nature of this card indicates how frequently it must have been referred to by Beaton and his assistants.
Gelatin silver contact prints mounted on card
V&A: Ph.595 A-V-1987
(2012) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed to the Museum in 1987 by Eileen Hose, secretary to the photographer |
| Production | Cecil Beaton photographed members of the royal family from 1930-1979. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Associated object | |
| Bibliographic reference | Strong, Roy C. Cecil Beaton: the royal portraits. London: Thames and Hudson, c1988. p. 104 |
| Other number | 292-14 - Beaton's number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | PH.595E-1987 |
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| Record created | June 8, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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