Beaton developed a calling towards the stage at a young age, beginning when his father took him to see a production of The Merry Widow, starring Lily Elise, when he was four. [1] In his memoir My Bolivian Aunt (original cover art by Beaton left), Beaton reflects on these early familial influences. He recalls his father accompanying him to the pantomime, and places himself in debt towards his aunt, who had given him an unusual taste for the real world of the stage that took place behind the scenes. [2] So while the legend of Twentieth American costume design may not have been born stage struck, it certainly did not take the artist long to get there. [3]

From the early stages of Beaton’s career, he took on an interest in fashion. This early work draws from the movement of surrealism, which displayed influences of the popular culture of the day. [4] Beaton also draws from his “queer eye for gendered performance,” which enabled him to make a striking entrance into the photography world of the era. [5] In this world of photography and fashion, Beaton’s inherent interest in theatrical lighting and set construction both informed his photography and helped him explore this other passion, which would soon bear fruit in the world of the theatre. [6]

By the time Beaton had entered the world of costume design, it was clear that nostalgia informed much of his work. He took great pride in recreating decorative detail, which he was able to do exceptionally well with the aid of a prodigious memory. [7] Beaton’s education in life had been by and for the theatre, and this education would serve him incredibly well in his craft. The influences that Beaton had accumulated over his childhood were lovingly recalled in his work, and included “the broad theatrical effects of the Edwardian musical stage, the fond accumulation of childhood impressions, plus the sophisticated aesthetics of Bakst and Berard, the surrealism of Tchelitchev, and, later, the sophisticated taste of Chanel.” [8] Cecil Beaton mastered these influences, and many others, in order to develop a style of his own that would mark his work through the many productions he touched. Today, the influences which Beaton assimilated into his artistry are synonymous with the Golden Age of Broadway and Hollywood.

 

[1] Jorgensen, Jay, and Donald L. Scoggins. Creating the Illusion: A Fashionable History of Hollywood and Costume Designers. Running Press, 2015. 130

[2] Beaton, Cecil. My Bolivian Aunt. Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1971. 55.

[3] Spencer, Charles. Cecil Beaton: Stage and Film Designs. St. Martin’s Press Inc., 1975. 7.

[4] Janes, Dominic. “Cecil Beaton, Richard Hamilton and the Queer, Transatlantic Origins of Pop Art.” Visual Culture in Britain, vol. 16, no. 3, 2015, 313.

[5] Ibid, 315

[6] “BEATON, Cecil.” Benezit Dictionary of Artists. Oxford Art Online. 2013.

[7] Spencer, 9.

[8] Ibid, 29.

Images: Above left: http://www.artnet.com/artists/cecil-beaton/original-artwork-for-my-bolivian-aunt-dpk5_uJPAzbm3UNo-WYcgA2 Below right: https://www.pinterest.com/beatonfabrics/cecil-beaton-costumes/