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The Roy Astley Collection: Theatrical Designs by Cecil Beaton and Oliver Messel
Lot 32AR

Cecil Beaton
(British, 1904-1980)
A costume design for My Fair Lady, 1963, probably for Barbara Pepper unframed

20 May – 3 June 2025, 12:00 BST
Online, London, Knightsbridge

£800 - £1,200

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Cecil Beaton (British, 1904-1980)

A costume design for My Fair Lady, 1963, probably for Barbara Pepper
signed 'BEATON' and inscribed 'Barbara' (lower right), further inscribed 'My Fair Lady' (verso)
gouache, watercolour and pencil, the sheet previously applied with fabric swatches (now loose)
50.5 x 33cm (19 7/8 x 13in).
unframed

Footnotes

Beaton's involvement with My Fair Lady, his most famous project, began in 1955 while working on the American stage version of George Bernard Shaw's 1913 stage play Pygmalion. Julia Andrews and Rex Harrison starred in the leading roles.

He continued his engagement with the play when it was brought to the West End in 1958, before spending ten months in Hollywood for the film production starring Audrey Hepburn in 1963. When the film was released in 1964, Beaton won two Academy Awards, for Best Art Direction-Colour and Best Costume Design-Colour, cementing his name in the world of theatrical design.

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