Bright young things: Cecil Beato

They were wild, wealthy and determined to have fun.

This week “Cecil Beaton’s Bright Young Things” opened at the National Portrait Gallery in London.

塞西尔·比顿Cecil Beaton，（1904－1980），著名摄影师、服装设计师，曾凭借《琪琪》(1958)获得第31届奥斯卡最佳服装设计奖；凭借彩色片《窈窕淑女》(1964)获得第37届奥斯卡最佳服装设计奖，被誉为二十世纪最伟大的英国摄影家之一。

It displays 150 of the British photographer’s glimmering portraits of the glamorous and eccentric artists, socialites, writers, models and musicians who gallivanted【闲逛；陪异性游荡；寻欢作乐；找刺激】 around Britain in the 1920s and 1930s.

The ranks of this hedonistic【享乐主义的】 bunch included John Betjeman, Nancy Mitford and William Walton.

They threw parties, wore extravagant clothes and railed against the carnage【大屠杀】 of the first world war by living life to flamboyant【炫耀的；卖弄的】, glittering extremes.

The privileged brat-pack was infamous for treasure hunts around London and for get-togethers like the “Bath and Bottle” party at a local swimming pool, a circus-themed bash (horses joined the revellers indoors) and “Second Childhood”, at which guests returned to their gilded youths by dressing up as babies and downing cocktails served in children’s cups.

Mar 14th 2020