BEATON, Sir Cecil. Portrait of Robert F. Kennedy; original drawing in pencil on paper, 1961.
 
Original portrait drawing of Robert Kennedy, in pencil on heavy stock paper. Inscribed by Beaton to the lower-right corner, ‘Robert Kennedy’. Minor handling marks to paper, otherwise excellent throughout. Framed and glazed with UV resistant art glass.
 
Description 
 
Cecil Beaton was associated with Robert Kennedy and captured a notable portrait of Kennedy and his wife, Ethel, during the early 1960s, in a black-and-white photograph. The image, frequently featured in Condé Nast archives, highlights the couple in a formal setting. This portrait, executed at the time of Kennedy’s assuming the role of US Attorney General stands as an independent graphic work. It captures directly from life and contrasts Beaton’s photography in being free from the mechanical interventions and complex staging of photographic studio production. The drawing is typical of Beaton’s stylised portraiture of American political figures.
His career was defined by a seamless transition from documenting the rebellious ‘Bright Young Things’ to crafting the definitive visual identities of icons like Audrey Hepburn and the British Royal Family. Influenced by the surrealism of Salvador Dalí and the clean classicism of contemporaries like George Hoyningen-Huene, he pioneered a theatrical style that used elaborate sets and floral motifs to elevate portraiture into high art. By blending his work as a Vogue photographer with Oscar-winning costume design, Beaton remained a dominant cultural force for six decades, eventually capturing the raw energy of the 1960s through portraits of the Rolling Stones.
Sheet, 35.1x22.1cm; external, 42.1x29.2cm.