4107 - Beaton, Cecil

Beaton, Cecil The actress Greta Garbo (1905–1990), Plaza Hotel, New York. 1946. Gelatin silver print on doubleweight paper, printed later. 23.4 x 29.2 cm. Typed press text label and 2 agency stamps on the reverse. Known for his glamorous celebrity portraits, Cecil Beaton was a close friend of Greta Garbo and photographed her frequently. In May 1946, she visited his Plaza Hotel suite to have a passport photograph taken. The request turned into an extended photo session, during which Beaton used natural light from the window and the suite’s understated furnishings to create a series of unusually intimate images. He sent a selection to *Vogue*, where they appeared later that year, prompting Garbo’s anger at their publication. The series nevertheless remains a rare post-Hollywood record of the resolutely private actress; original prints are held by institutions including the National Portrait Gallery in London. – Some nicks along the edges, a few creases in the upper right corner, a few light handling dents, a small tear in the upper edge; otherwise in very good condition.