”Images of Madonna in Vanity Fair” at the NPG
As reported on MadonnaTribe on November 2007, some of the greatest portrait photographs of the twentieth century taken for, or published in, Vanity Fair will be part of an exhibition taking place at the National Portrait Gallery in London until May 2008.
Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008 is a remarkable selection of 150 classic images features works from the magazine’s first period (1913-1936), displayed for the first time with works from the contemporary Vanity Fair (1983-present).
“Throughout its history Vanity Fair has helped define the public persona of some of the most influential individuals from the worlds of music, sport, fashion, business, literature politics, theatre, cinema, and the arts” – the exhibition website reads. “Vanity Fair Portraits brings together portraits of cultural icons from the magazine’s vintage and modern periods with sitters ranging from Claude Monet, Amelia Earhart and Jesse Owens to David Hockney, Arthur Miller and Madonna, displayed with legendary Hollywood actors from Charlie Chaplin and Greta Garbo to Demi Moore and Tom Cruise.”
“This is a unique opportunity to see 95 years of iconic imagery by some of the most renowned photographers of the twentieth century, including Baron De Meyer, Edward Steichen, Man Ray and Cecil Beaton, as well as portraits by celebrated contemporary photographers such as Annie Leibovitz, Mario Testino, Helmut Newton and Herb Ritts.”
Among the Madonna portraits included in the exhibition you’ll find the classic “Evita” shot by Mario Testino and the photograph of her with Tony Curtis and Mick Jagger from 1997 you see on the right.
As part of the events scheduled at the exhibition, on Thursday 6 March at 1.15 PM Magda Keaney will talk about “
Images of Madonna in Vanity Fair” at the gallery’s Ondaatje Wing Theatre.
“The ‘Material Girl’ has appeared on the front cover of Vanity Fair nine times, more than any other cover star in the history of the magazine. A discussion of Madonna’s iconography and the photographers with whom she has made Vanity Fair a testing ground for her image transformations over more than twenty years including Herb Ritts, Steven Meisel and Mario Testino.
Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913-2008 opens today at the National Portrait Gallery, St Martin’s Place
London WC2H 0HE. For further info please visit www.npg.org.uk.