“Be Original Or Die”: Yevonde’s ’30s Portraits Of High-Society Beauties And Hollywood Stars Are Finally Getting The Attention They Deserve

Rosalind Jana | British Vogue | 22nd June 2023

Colour photography arrived in the 1920’s but its acceptance as art photography took decades. Yevonde was an early exponent, rejecting “wishy washy hand-tinted effects” in favour of vibrant colour. Given the difficulty of colour printing, that was a brave choice and it won her a “glamourous” client list. While some portraits now look stilted and lacking psychological insight, she was among the first to understood that “colour was a potent avenue into the realm of feminine fantasy.”