Leibovitz and the Queen on her 90th: Monarchy & Marketing
by Michael Shaw
One way to illustrate the virtuosity of Annie Leibovitz’s 90th birthday series of the Queen is with another portrait. There’s nothing wrong with the image immediately below, taken last summer for The Royal Mail.
Except the Queen looks more elderly than she does ageless with Princess Anne. And she presents like a relic instead of your close and beloved mum in Leibovitz’s love poem.
Make no mistake, though, the stunning photos of Queen Elizabeth you’re seeing this week are hardly agenda-free. Yes, the portrait of the great grandchildren oozes adorability. Mindful of the franchise, however, the handoff of the bag also stakes out the mandate for generations.
In every case, the way to promote the elite is to make them seem as accessible as possible. To that end, humor is a remarkable tool. This photo takes the wattage of the Queen and tempers it with an audaciously foreboding sky. Combined with the statue, those haunting walls and the edge of greenery, it hints at every gothic tale of English castles, countryside and, of course, hounds. All hail, the midgets of the Baskervilles!
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Originally published at www.readingthepictures.org on April 22, 2016.