“Diana, Princess of Wales, 1997” for Vanity Fair by Mario Testino
Mario Testino’s “British Royal Portraits”, on view now at the MFA, Boston through June 16, 2013, is installed in the small, quiet Gallery 169. Everything about this exhibit is in stark contrast to Testino’s glitzy companion show, “In Your Face”, in the museum’s grand Gund Gallery. Undoubtedly, Testino is still going after the unexpected. But, in the case of the British royal family, the unexpected is merely the unguarded.
“TRH The Duke & Duchess of Cambridge (detail), 2010” chromogenic C-type print by Mario Testino
Testino has managed to gain the trust of the royals and has chosen his favorite images for this show, which are touted as “fresh and spontaneous”. To me, they seem like the work of any decent family portrait photographer, except that his sitters are famous. A prime example of this is his 2004 official royal Christmas card work, featuring B&W images of Charles and his sons, sporting jeans and white shirts, happily relaxing outdoors. In comparison to Testino’s fashion work, the photography is mundane. But it is also charming.
“Charles, Prince of Wales, with his sons Harry (left) and William in London in 2004” by Mario Testino
My favorite work in the show is perhaps also Testino’s most creatively expressive: the 21st birthday portraits of Prince William in 2003 and Prince Harry in 2005. In a B&W studio shot, an elegant Prince William dons white tie and tails while, in an outdoor Color shot Prince Harry leans on a motorcycle in a dirty T-shirt and fingerless driving gloves. These precious shots alone are worth a trip to see this show.
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