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Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
CECIL BEATON (1904-1980) Katharine Hepburn as Coco Chanel.
Costume design for Hepburn in the starring role in the 1969 Broadway musical "Coco." Watercolor and gouache on paper. 647x503 mm; 25 1/2x19 3/4 inches. Signed "Beaton" in lower right and with a rough sketch of Hepburn on the verso. Adhered to window matte along edges and framed to 34x28 inches.
Provenance: Palm Beach Galleries (with their label); private collection, New England.
Coco was Hepburn's only stage musical of her career. Based on the lyrics and book by Alan Jay Lerner and with music by André Previn, it starred Hepburn in the titular role while Beaton created both its elaborate set and costume designs. Coco opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on December 18, 1969 and ran for 329 performances until its closing on October 3, 1970. The plot was originally focused on Chanel's earlier years but when Hepburn, who was 62 at the time, was chosen for the role, the story line was changed to focus on the designer's post-retirement comeback, a decision Chanel was not particularly thrilled about. Perhaps more flattering for Hepburn, it earned her the nominee for Best Actress in a Musical, and Beaton's costuming, beautifully shown in this rendering of Kate owning the Coco look, won him the Tony Award for Best Costume Design.
