Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
Cecil Beaton (1904-1980)
Sir Cecil Beaton was a focal sculptor of the monarch’s public image in the mid-20th century; Queen Elizabeth was still a young princess, and not yet a queen, when she first sat for Sir Beaton and it was he who captured and immortalised her Coronation.
“The call from the Palace to say The Queen wanted me to do the Coronation photographs for posterity was such a relief as well as joy and thrill.”
Sir Beaton rejected the style of static line-ups of previous coronations and opted instead for images that demonstrated theatre and grandeur. The Queen is shot holding the orb and sceptre, donned in the Coronations Robes and Gown, her head holding the Imperial Crown. He did not entirely reject tradition however, and his use of the profile pose mirrors that used on coins, medals and stamps. This iconic portrait of The Queen’s coronation depicted her as a postwar figure of hope following a period of crisis.
Annie Leibovitz (1942 – Present)
Annie Leibovitz was the first American to take an official portrait of her the Queen. Inspired by Sir Beaton’s work, Leibovitz’s photographs insisted on flare and glamour whilst maintaining a traditional undercurrent.
‘I felt honoured. I also felt that because I was an American I had an advantage over every other photographer or painter who had made a portrait of her. It was OK for me to be reverent’
Leibovitz is best known for her engaging and dramatic celebrity portraits, capturing the likes of The Rolling Stones and featuring in Vanity Fair. In the series of four photographs she was commissioned to take of The Queen, three are very traditional, albeit presented with typical Leibovitz flair. They capture The Queen resplendent in jewels, royal gowns, robes and furs, against the backdrop of the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace. The fourth photograph differs from the series; the Queen is pictured wearing a black cloak and her image is superimposed onto a dramatic and wild-weathered backdrop of Buckingham Palace Gardens. Not only are Leibovitz’s photographs iconic but the photographer, in this sitting, is known to have suggested that the Crown was “a bit dressy”.
Thomas Struth (1954 – Present)
Thomas Struth is a contemporary photographer whose images capture a wide breadth of subject matter, ranging from rainforests to urban scenes and intimate portraits. Struth’s photographs are genre defying, complex and strategic shots that penetrate the human imagination. In 2011, The National Gallery called Struth with the unexpected request to photograph Queen Elizabeth II for a series celebrating her 2012 Diamond Jubilee.
“When the National Portrait Gallery called and said that in their eyes I was the best person to do the portrait, I was quite shocked. My immediate reaction was ‘What can I possibly do that’s not only affirmative but would include a message from me? Would I be able to say something new about people like this?’ ”
Struth captured Queen Elizabeth II and her late husband the Duke of Edinburgh in the grand, baroque splendour of the Green Drawing Room. However, what stands out in this portrait is the comfortable expressions on their faces; the pair are surrounded by royal history, pinnacle figures of royalty themselves, yet their humanity transcends the image. This touch of relatability is curious and unanticipated.
Within the diverse and personal medium of portrait photography, the Queen has made an unique and dramatic subject through whom photographers have focalised their own personal style for decades.
