02 Jun 2021
Blenheim Palace will unveil the second exhibition of a celebrated British photographer and designer later this month.
Part of a series running throughout the summer, Cecil Beaton and the Theatre will be presented by Zuleika Gallery from June 12 until the end of August.
Kate Ballenger, keeper of palace and collections at Blenheim, said: “We're delighted to welcome Zuleika Gallery to present this exciting exhibition in our new space to highlight the work of Beaton as a designer for stage and screen, alongside his photographs through the State Rooms.”
The exhibition presents original works both by the photographer and designer alongside some of his contemporaries. It will run concurrently with the Cecil Beaton, Celebrating Celebrity exhibition, which opened on May 17.
Cecil was a photographer and illustrator known primarily for his stylish portraits of actors and film stars of his time. His elegant designs were exemplified by his greatest stage success, My Fair Lady, for which he won Oscars for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design.
Cecil Beaton and the Theatre will centre on a collection of his work relating to productions of the 1950s.
This decade saw some his most memorable designs for the stage, including a significant body of work for great figures in the world of ballet such as Frederick Ashton and George Balanchine.
The exhibition includes one of Beaton's earliest set designs from the Duchess of Malfi, created in 1924, and also examines the extraordinary influence of Diaghilev's Ballet Russes following their arrival in Britain around 1920.
Hannah Payne, senior director of Zuleika Gallery, said: “We are thrilled to present Cecil Beaton and the Theatre at Blenheim Palace. This exhibition puts Beaton in his context as a key figure in one of the most exciting periods in the history of British design.
“Having recently opened our second gallery in nearby Woodstock, it's a great privilege to present art exhibitions at Blenheim Palace for the enjoyment of visitors.”
Cecil Beaton and the Theatre runs from June 12 to August 31.
Issued on behalf of Blenheim Palace. For more information please contact Samantha Vaughan on 07469 129743 or svaughan@blenheimpalace.com
Editor's Notes
- Zuleika Gallery was founded in Oxford in 2015 by Lizzie Collins and focuses on Contemporary and Modern British Art, with locations based in Woodstock, Oxfordshire and in St James', London.
- For the Cecil Beaton and the Theatre exhibition, the gallery will partner Harry Moore-Gwyn, who founded Moore-Gwyn Fine Art Limited in 2007 and specialises in paintings, drawings and sculpture by British artists, with a particular focus on the period from c1870. Zuleika Gallery will also collaborate with Joanna Ling, ceramicist and former Head of the Cecil Beaton Archive at Sotheby's, and private lenders for the exhibition.
For more information visit zuleikagallery.com
Matt Dixon
Public Relations Manager
T: 01637 873379
