LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
ARTS & COLLECTIBLES
THROUGH
THE LENS
The exhibition Fragile Beauty: A Profound Exploration of Photography’s Power at the V&A offers a captivating journey through iconic works that highlight the emotional depth and visual brilliance of modern and contemporary photography.
Installation images of ‘Fragile Beauty’ at V&A South Kensington
© Victoria and Albert Museum, London
In a space where photography transcends its conventional role, Fragile Beauty: Photographs from the Sir Elton John and David Furnish Collection opens at the V&A as a deeply moving exploration of the human condition. This exhibition, spanning over 300 rare prints, offers a glimpse into the private world of two of the art world’s most passionate collectors. Sir Elton John and David Furnish have amassed a breathtaking array of works from 140 modern and contemporary photographers, culminating in one of the most ambitious photography exhibitions the V&A has ever staged.
From the outset, Fragile Beauty immerses the viewer in a world where the camera becomes a lens not only into the external world but also into the fragility of the human condition. Divided into eight thematic sections, the exhibition tackles an array of subjects with an intimate yet expansive scope: fashion, celebrity, the male body, American photography, and reportage. The curation is masterful, with each section speaking to the other, creating a dialogue that underscores photography’s ability to traverse time, culture, and human experience.
David LaChapelle, Elton John: Egg On His Face, New York, 1999 © David LaChapelle
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Sam Taylor-Johnson, Crying Men (Laurence Fishburne), 2002
© Sam Taylor-Johnson
One of the exhibition’s most poignant themes is the interplay between strength and vulnerability. This dichotomy is embodied in the collection itself, selected from over 7,000 photographs that Sir Elton John and David Furnish have gathered over three decades. These are not merely museum pieces, but deeply personal works that adorn the walls of their home, offering a rare glimpse into the photographs that have shaped their private lives. This immediacy gives Fragile Beauty an emotional resonance that lingers with the viewer long after they leave the gallery.
Peter Hujar, Candy Darling on her Deathbed, 1974 © 2023
The Peter Hujar Archive, LLC / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Among the standout pieces are three iconic portraits of Marilyn Monroe, brought together for the first time. The juxtaposition of Richard Avedon’s meticulously staged portrait of Monroe with Bert Stern’s The Last Sitting, which captures the star just two months before her death, speaks to the very essence of fragility and beauty. Monroe, the epitome of Hollywood glamour, is shown in moments of vulnerability, revealing the complex layers beneath her public persona. These images, alongside Eve Arnold’s candid shot of Monroe rehearsing her lines on the set of The Misfits, form a delicate narrative that echoes the exhibition’s central theme.
Cindy Sherman, Untitled Film Still #17, 1978 © Cindy Sherman, courtesy of the artist and Hauser & Wirth Gallery
Eve Arnold, Malcolm X, Chicago, Illinois, USA, 1962
© Eve Arnold/Magnum Photos
Yet, the heart of Fragile Beauty lies in its exploration of photography’s ability to document life in its rawest form. Nan Goldin’s Thanksgiving series is one of the most powerful examples of this. Spanning from 1973 to 1999, the series captures moments of intimacy, joy, and loss, woven together into a rich tapestry of life and community. Displayed floor-to-ceiling, Goldin’s work feels overwhelming in its intensity, a visual testament to the fragility of human relationships and the passage of time.
The exhibition also features works from iconic photographers such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, and Diane Arbus, all of whom have redefined photography in their own right. Mapplethorpe’s Self-Portrait (1985), in which he presents himself with devilish horns, captures a striking confrontation between the artist and the viewer, while Sherman’s satirical self-portraits challenge traditional notions of identity and beauty. The works are diverse, yet each is bound by the exploration of vulnerability and strength—whether through the lens of fashion, celebrity, or personal history.
Herman Leonard, Chet Baker, New York City, 1956
© Herman Leonard Photography, LLC
The exhibition does not shy away from difficult subjects, presenting images that delve into moments of persecution, resistance, and social change. Photographs documenting the Civil Rights movement and AIDS activism provide a stark reminder of photography’s role as a witness to history, capturing moments that might otherwise fade from collective memory.
Alec Soth, Nan’s Bed, Brooklyn, New York, 2018 © Alec Soth. Courtesy, Sean Kelly
Robert Mapplethorpe, Self Portrait, 1985
© Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by permission
At its core, Fragile Beauty is a testament to the power of photography to capture the ephemeral. It is a meditation on beauty in all its forms—celebrity, fashion, intimacy, and humanity—and on the delicate balance between the public and private, strength and vulnerability. The collection’s depth and breadth, spanning the work of some of the world’s most renowned photographers, offers a rare glimpse into the evolving nature of photography itself. For art lovers and critics alike, Fragile Beauty is not to be missed—a visual symphony that will resonate long after the gallery lights dim.