Chris Beetles Art Gallery - John Swannell - Portraits, Nudes and Fashion Photography

John Swannell’s reputation as one of the biggest names in British photography is no accident, his consistently inventive work and unerring professionalism having kept him in demand by press and public for over 35 years.

Our retrospective show will include over 60 of John Swannell’s pictures, juxtaposing classic images with lesser-known, more intimate portraits and those new to the public eye. John’s witty approach to portraiture gives us national darling Joanna Lumley like a latter day Cruella de Vil, a combative looking Queen Elizabeth II guarding the banqueting hall at Windsor Castle, Spike Milligan distinctly unamused in his back garden, Sir John Gielgud leaping into the air at eighty, and many more unusual and insightful portraits.

We will also hang a group of spectacular nudes. Produced in a limited edition of 25 platinum prints, these images represent the best of his career-long devotion to the genre.

For further details on each picture, please click on the images or their titles


DAVID BAILEY, 1970	HELMUT NEWTON AND MARIE HELVIN, CAP D'ANTIBES, 1971	JOHN PIPER, 1977

ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE, 1980	BRYAN FERRY, 1985	HELENA BONHAM CARTER, 1987

DURAN DURAN AND CHRISTIE TURLINGTON, 1986	PETE TOWNSEND, 1989	DAVID BAILEY, PATRICK LICHFIELD, TERENCE DONOVAN, ADVERTISING STILL FOR OLYMPUS, 1980

JUDI DENCH, 1988	SIR ROY STRONG, 1990	SIR JOHN GIELGUD, 1991

DELIA SMITH, 1995	HRH DIANA PRINCESS OF WALES WITH PRINCES WILLIAM AND HARRY, 1994	MICHAEL PALIN, 1997

ALAN PARKER, 1997	SPIKE MILLIGAN, 2000	MEL SMITH, 1999

JOANNA LUMLEY, 2000	SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY, 2007	HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN, 2001

BARONESS THATCHER, 2001	GEORGE MELLY, 2001	BARRY HUMPHRIES, 2001

ERIC SYKES, 2001	BILLY CONNOLLY, 2001	SIR TIM RICE, 2001

FREDERICK FORSYTH, 2001	TERRY O'NEILL, 2001	SIR MICHAEL CAINE, 2001

MAUREEN LIPMAN, 2002	TOM COURTNEY, 2002	DEBBIE MOORE AND LINDY CHRISTENSEN, 1976

FASHION STILL FOR 'RITZ', 1978	LAURA ASHLEY FASHION STILL FOR 'RITZ', 1980	FASHION STILL FOR PRETTY POLLY, 1988

MARIANNE SWANNELL, SRI LANKA, 1984	ADVERTISING STILL WITH PAPER DRESS BY DAVID AND ELIZABETH EMANUEL, 1994	VIVIENNE WESTWOOD FASHION STILL FOR 'COUNTRY LIFE', 1996

FASHION STILL FOR 'THE DAILY TELEGRAPH', NO 1, 1993	COVER IMAGE FOR 'FINE LINES', 1977	UNTITLED 1991

NUDE IN A BOAT, 1984	NUDE, UTAH, 1988	BECKY IN AN UPROOTED TREE, 1984

NAKED VINE, 1985	NUDE AND ROCK, 1985	BACK VIEW, 1987

UNTITLED, 1990	MAYA ON CHAIR, 1985	NUDE WITH A TWIG, 1991

LADDER SERIES, NO 3, 1991	DASHA SERIES NO.1, CUMBRIA, 1999	PHILIPPA, BARBADOS, TREE 2007

COUPLE ENTWINED, 1991	NUDE BEHIND SILK SERIES, NO 1, 2004	DANIELLE, 2001

PHILIPPA, BARBADOS, BENCH, 2007