Behind him a stormy background, which seems to recall the Stormoil on canvas, painted by Giorgione. Wrapped in a dark cloak, regal air, triumphing over the twilight landscape, with her radiant presence is her: her Majesty Elizabeth II.
Taken in 2007 by the legendary master of photography Annie Leibovitz, was commissioned by the Royal Household, together with 3 other photographs, to celebrate the sovereign's visit to United Statescoinciding with the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city of Jamestownwhich took place in May 1607.
For the entire photo shoot, ad Annie Leibovitzas mentioned by Royal Collection, she was given a total of 25 minutes. But the construction of this image, compared to the others, occurred differently. The photograph of the Queen was taken inside Buckingham Palaceand subsequently digitally superimposed, with the figure of the garden, on the outside of the palace, here expressed in a style steeped in romanticism, executed the day before.
Not just any cloak
It had been worn by Elizabeth in 1968 in a very famous photo of Cecil Beatonwhich will then be reworked into a cover of Time in September 2022the year of the monarch's passing. Annie Leibovitz thus wanted to pay homage to that piece of history, thinking back to the symbolic work created by the British photographer and costume designer, almost 40 years earlier.
Dark in color, with gold buttons, the admiral's cloak, famously in navy style, or to say it in Italian, marinara, also enveloped another person after the death of the sovereign. During a religious service in London, last November 2023, the Princess Annevisibly moved, in front of a surprised audience, wanted to pay homage to her mother by wearing the iconic garment.
A photograph that is pure poetry
Before being purchased by the auction house in 2013, the photo was owned by the Peter Fetterman Gallery in Santa Monica. Printed in 2010, the image measures 38.4 x 60.3 cm, while the entire sheet is 50.8 x 60.9 cm. It is number 8 of an edition of twenty-five.
The very famous photographer, who made her debut in the magazine Rolling Stoneand then arriving at Vanity Fair it's at Voguewas the first American to create official portraits of the sovereign.
From the simply titled volume Annie Leibovitzpublished by Taschen, Graydon Carterformer editor of the American edition of Vanity Fair, when describing the relationship between her and the photographed subject, says: «She is more prepared… She is more patient. She is more insistent.” Characteristics that led her to immortalize the most famous and influential people on the planet in her shots.
During the auction to be held from Christie's entirely dedicated to photos, in addition to that of Queen Elizabeth, there will be more than a hundred pieces by the greatest masters of photography: from Irving Penn to Andy Warholfrom Robert Mapplethorpe to Nan Goldinand many others.
The auction is online, starting from March 21st until April 3rd.
Source: Vanity Fair
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