Bonhams Offers Cecil Beaton Theatrical Designs in Online Collections Sale
The Facts
Bonhams has announced its Collections Sale, which includes a large selection of theatrical designs by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), among other highlights. The sale, which runs online from May 20 to June 3, features costume designs for Katharine Hepburn in 'Coco' (estimate £1,200-1,800), as well as sketches for 'My Fair Lady', Vivien Leigh in 'Anna Karenina', and Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn in 'Marguerite and Armand'. The designs come from the Roy Astley Collection of Theatrical Designs, which also includes works by Oliver Messel. Additional lots include an Omar Ramsden silver-mounted mazer-bowl (estimate £15,000-25,000), Anne Redpath's 'Hillside Village, Corsica' (estimate £12,000-18,000), and Cecil Beaton's 'Portrait of Picasso' (estimate £8,000-12,000). Charlie Thomas, UK Group Director for House Sales and Private & Iconic Collections at Bonhams, noted that Beaton's theatrical work is often overshadowed by his photography.
The Signal
The sale offers collectors a rare opportunity to acquire Beaton's stage and film designs at accessible estimates, just as a concurrent exhibition, 'Cecil Beaton's Garden Party', opens at The Garden Museum. This timing highlights growing institutional and market interest in Beaton's costume and set design legacy, which has been eclipsed by his celebrated photography. For collectors of theatrical memorabilia or 20th-century design, these lots—many from landmark exhibitions like the 1986 Barbican retrospective—represent a chance to own pieces with strong provenance and cultural resonance.
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- Artists: Cecil Beaton, Oliver Messel, Anne Redpath, Charles Vincent Lamb
- People: Roy Astley, Charlie Thomas, Katharine Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Geoffrey Sawyer
- Auction Houses: Bonhams
- Museums: Barbican Art Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, The Garden Museum
- Locations: London
- Prices: £1,200-1,800, £15,000-25,000, £12,000-18,000, £8,000-12,000, £6,000-10,000, £2,000-3,000
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