A national treasure indeed!
Beyoncé's historic Vogue portrait, shot by rising photographer Tyler Mitchell, is on its way to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.
The 24-year-old photographer's now-iconic shot of Queen Bey, which was for Vogue's all-important September issue last year, left its mark on history in more ways than one. Not only did the cover photo mark the first time an African-American photographer has shot a cover for the 125-year-old fashion publication, but Tyler also became one of the youngest photographers to ever shoot a Vogue cover.
"A year ago today we broke the flood gates open," the photographer announced on Instagram Tuesday (August 6) alongside the photograph of BeyoncĂ© in a gold Valentino dress and Philip Treacy hat. "Since then it was important to spend the whole year running through them making sure every piece of the gate was knocked down. And now Iâm glad to share this picture is being acquired into the Smithsonian National Portrait Galleryâs permanent collection"
Concetta Duncan, a spokeswoman for the museum, confirmed the portraits acquisition, but said it's not yet known when the photo will be on display or how long it will remain at the museum, per the New York Times.
"We are delighted to acquire this magnificent portrait of BeyoncĂ©," Leslie Ureña, associate curator of photographs for the museum, said in a statement. "This particular work brought us closer to BeyoncĂ©âs words, appearing within the magazineâs pages, and showing us more of the historic shoot."
Last year, Tyler â whose gone on to shoot for Marc Jacobs, Dazed magazine, the FADER, and even Vogue's May 2019 cover for Zendayaâ opened up about his experience working with BeyoncĂ©. "When she sat down for me there was immediately the kind of comfort level youâd have with a friend, which was quite unexpected," he told Vogue. "Youâd imagine someone as famous as BeyoncĂ© to be protective of her image, but she was really an open book â and thatâs exactly what you want as a photographer. Itâs funny because Iâm pretty sure she headlined the first concert I ever went to, when I was maybe eight or nine, so you could say we met in a past life."
And when it came to making history, he told the fashion magazine, it was a long time coming. "For so long, black people have been considered things," he said. "Weâve been thingified physically, sexually, emotionally. With my work Iâm looking to revitalize and elevate the black body."
Photo: Getty Images