Cecil Beaton Designs for Anna Karenina and Oscar Wilde Plays to Auction

A large selection of designs by Cecil Beaton including costume designs for My Fair Lady and Katharine Hepburn in Coco are at online auction at Bonhams until June 3.

Beaton’s theatrical designs come to auction from the collection of Roy Astley which also includes theatrical designs by Oliver Messel. Roy Astley himself worked in theatre for the entirety of his career as a successful stage and company manager. The quality of his collection meant that many of his works were exhibited in landmark exhibitions, including the 1986 Cecil Beaton retrospective at Barbican Art Gallery.
 
“Though perhaps best known for his legendary photographs of Royals and Bright Young Things, Cecil Beaton was also an equally talented costume and set designer, who created distinctive and whimsical designs for both theatre and film," said Charlie Thomas, UK Group Director for House Sales and Private & Iconic Collections at Bonhams, commented. "We are offering a number of his designs including costume designs and sketches for My Fair Lady, Katherine Hepburn in Coco, and Vivien Leigh in Anna Karenina, as well as Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn in Marguerite and Armand."

The sale will also offer Part II of Geoffrey Sawyer's collection of photographs by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980). Sawyer, a dedicated long-time assistant and printer to Beaton, also has his own work housed in the National Portrait Gallery. This collection includes some of Beaton’s most famous images, such as portraits of the Royal Family, including the (then) Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. It also features photographs of the brightest stars from the worlds of stage, screen, and high society, as well as depictions of Beaton’s close friends and family.