Cecil BEATON (1904–1980) Elsa Schiaparelli, 1936. Photograph. Original silver print mounted on card, signed in red ink on the mount. Mount marked. Image: 23.2 x 18.2 cm; Mount: 40 x 30 cm Provenance: Schiaparelli family. Elsa Schiaparelli is wearing a long dress with a trompe l’œil pattern painted in the style of ancient Greek pleats, the result of her collaboration with the painter Jean Dunand. The connection between Cecil Beaton and Elsa Schiaparelli is rooted in the creative effervescence of the 1930s, blending fashion, photography and surrealism. An iconic Vogue photographer, Beaton immortalised Schiaparelli’s daring creations on numerous occasions: evening gowns featuring giant arrows (1936), a Dalí-inspired suit with drawers (1936–37), and the famous lobster dress worn by Wallis Simpson in 1937.