
Ella Jerman-Riddell
Sale Coordinator
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£8,000 - £12,000
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Group Head, Private Collections, Furniture & Works of Art, U.K

Associate Specialist
Video footage of Cecil Beaton putting finishes to this portrait in advance of his inaugural exhibition of oil paintings at Lefevre Gallery, London in 1966 is part of the British Pathé Archive, no. 1785.11. The video shows Beaton in his studio, taking the canvas out of his racks and placing it on an easel before adding more brushstrokes to the portrait. The link to the video can be found here: CECIL BEATON'S NEW ROLE - ARTIST - British Pathé
The portrait bears a striking resemblance to photographs of Picasso taken by Cecil Beaton in April 1965. Two are in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery, London, x40332 and x40333, and another with a similar hand gesture at Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, 1987.1.1289. A similar study sold Christie's, South Kensington, 26 July 2001, lot 144.