Sir Frederick Ashton (1904-1988), Founder-choreographer and Director of the Royal Ballet
Sitter associated with 27 portraits
Founder choreographer of The Royal Ballet. Encouraged by Marie Rambert, Ashton created his first ballet A Tragedy of Fashion in 1926. He choreographed several pieces for the Vic-Wells Ballet before joining the Company in 1935. As resident choreographer, he worked with the young Fonteyn, who became his life-long muse. Among his greatest ballets are Symphonic Variations (1946), Scènes de Ballet (1948), La Fille mal gardée (1960), The Dream (1964) and A Month in the Country (1976). Knighted in 1962, he became director of the Company the following year. He was made a Companion of Honour in 1970 and awarded the Order of Merit in 1977.
Sir Frederick Ashton; Ninette de Valois; Léonide Fedorovich Massine
by Angus McBean
bromide print, 1946
NPG P911
by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print on white card mount, 1950
NPG P869(2)
by Bernard Lee ('Bern') Schwartz
dye transfer print, 15 April 1977
NPG P1138
by Robert Heindel
oil on canvas, 1985
NPG 6189
by Gordon Anthony
bromide print, 1930s
NPG x44759
by Gordon Anthony
vintage print, 1930s
NPG x137041
Sir Frederick Ashton; Harold Turner; Lydia Lopokova in 'The Masque of Beauty and Pleasure'
by Cecil Beaton
bromide print, 1930
NPG x40698
by Edward George W. Malindine, for Daily Herald
modern bromide print from original negative, 2 December 1936
NPG x131124
John Piper; Sir Frederick Ashton; Benjamin Britten and Eric John Crozier
by Edward Mandinian
bromide contact print, 1947
NPG x15211
Members of the English Opera Group in Glyndebourne for the original production of 'Albert Herring'
possibly by Edward Mandinian
bromide print, 1947
NPG x15216
Eric John Crozier; Sir Frederick Ashton and John Piper
possibly by Edward Mandinian
bromide contact print, 1947
NPG x15215
Martha Mlinaric; Sir Frederick Ashton; David Ball
by Angela Gorgas
modern bromide print from original negative, 1977
NPG x133023
Sir Frederick Ashton; Lord David Cecil
by Cecil Beaton
pencil, 1950s-1960s
NPG D17949(20)
by Lee Miller
modern archival-toned gelatin silver print from original negative, 1933
NPG P1074
Benjamin Britten and Sir Frederick Ashton
by Unknown photographer
bromide print, 1947
NPG x15217
Sir Frederick Ashton, Eric John Crozier, Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears
by Unknown photographer
bromide print, 1947
NPG x131141
by Virginia Surtees
vintage snapshot print, September 1948
NPG x136211
by Virginia Surtees
vintage snapshot print, September 1948
NPG x136212
by Virginia Surtees
vintage snapshot print, September 1948
NPG x136213
by Virginia Surtees
vintage snapshot print, September 1948
NPG x136215
probably by Virginia Surtees, or by Sir (Henry) Ashley Clarke
vintage snapshot print, 1 April 1950
NPG x136173
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