Sir Osbert Sitwell

1 portrait

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Sir Osbert Sitwell

by Cecil Beaton
vintage bromide print, 1926
9 5/8 in. x 7 5/8 in. (245 mm x 195 mm)
Accepted in lieu of tax by H.M. Government and allocated to the Gallery, 1991
Photographs Collection
NPG x40367

Sitterback to top

Artistback to top

  • Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), Photographer, designer and writer. Artist or producer associated with 1114 portraits, Sitter associated with 360 portraits.

Linked publicationsback to top

  • Clerk, Honor, The Sitwells, 1994 (accompanying the exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from 14 October - 22 January 1995), p. 111 Read entry

    Both the photographs of Osbert and William Walton against a 'Cubist' background are generally dated 1926 and there seems to be no reason to doubt this. All Beaton's photographs of the Sitwells over the next ten years have, however, been subject to miscellaneous datings, sometimes due to a simple misunderstanding; sometimes on the unreliable basis of publication dates in magazines; and sometimes, as in James Danziger's Beaton (1980), apparently at random. With information from both Sitwell and Beaton biographical sources, it is, however, possible to establish a rough chronology.

    Beaton and Edith had a mutual friend, the wealthy Society beauty Allanah Harper, and on 7 December 1926 Beaton prevailed on Allanah to bring Edith to lunch. The visit to his house at Sussex Gardens and subsequent afternoon's photography are described in detail in his published diary. 'I must perpetuate the image in front of me, of a young faun-like creature sitting against my leaping-fawn [sic] design, looking surprisingly Victorian in her crudely-cut Pre-Raphaelite dress with her matador's jet hat, and necklace, her long medieval fingers covered with enormous rings ... As the afternoon wore on ... I even persuaded her to asphyxiate under the glass dome ... A Chinese torture she called it, but loved it all the same.' Two days later: 'Lately ... I've been giving Selfridge's photographic department nearly all the developing. This morning I traipsed there for the fifty millionth time to get the results of Edith Sitwell. The camera had leaked: light got in and spoiled a number of negatives. It would!’1 The spoiled negatives may well have included those of Edith under the Victorian glass dome.

    1 C. Beaton, The Wandering Years, 1961, pp 148-50.

Events of 1926back to top

Current affairs

In response to wage cuts and increased working hours for coal miners recommended by the Samuel Commission, the Trade Union Council calls a General Strike of workers in the key industries. Although over 1.5 million workers took part, the TUC finally gave in after nine days and called off the strike. The Trade Disputes and Trade Union Act of 1927 made it harder for workers to strike.

Art and science

A.A. Milne publishes Winnie-the-Pooh. The series of popular children's books featured the character Christopher Robin (named after Milne's son) and a cast of animals based on his stuffed-toys including Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit, Tigger, Kanga and Roo.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is published. This was Agatha Christie's third 'whodunit' novel featuring Hercule Poirot, the Belgian Detective.

International

The League of Nations accepts Germany as the sixth permanent member on the council deeming it a 'peace-loving country'. This confidence, however, was short lived with Germany leaving the League with the accession of Adolf Hitler to power in 1933.

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