Audrey Hepburn

Object Details

Artist

Benny Stilling, active c. 1940 - 1969

Sitter

Audrey Hepburn, 4 May 1929 - 20 Jan 1993

Exhibition Label

Born Brussels, Belgium

Whether playing a princess or a bookstore clerk, Audrey Hepburn epitomized elegance and grace. Despite a difficult youth in Nazi-occupied Holland, two failed marriages, and prolonged periods of self-doubt, she projected an effortless poise onscreen and in public, as well as a doe-eyed impishness that made her a leading box-office star. At a time when women were often cast as the love interests of male leads, Hepburn insisted on playing central characters. As Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961)—with her large sunglasses, oversize cigarette holder, and little black Givenchy dress—she became a trendsetting icon for a new generation of American women. During the last five years of her life, Hepburn shifted her focus to the plight of suffering chil dren around the globe. In 1992, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Nacida en Bruselas, Bélgica

Ya fuera en el papel de princesa o empleada de una librería, Audrey Hepburn era epítome de gracia y elegancia. A pesar de su difícil juventud en Holanda bajo los nazis, dos fracasos matrimoniales y etapas de baja autoestima, proyectaba en la pantalla y

en persona un refinamiento natural y una picardía inocente que la convirtieron en estrella de la taquilla. En tiempos en que las mujeres solían ser meros objetos románticos del protagonista masculino, Hepburn insistió en interpretar personajes centrales. Como Holly Golightly en Desayuno en Tiffany’s (1961) —con sus grandes gafas, larguísima boquilla y clásico vestidito negro de Givenchy— se impuso como ícono de vanguardia para una nueva gene ración de mujeres americanas. Durante sus últimos cinco años de vida se dedicó a aliviar el sufrimiento infantil en el mundo. En 1992 recibió la Medalla Presidencial de la Libertad por su labor como embajadora de buena voluntad de UNICEF.

Credit Line

National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

1962

Object number

NPG.2014.37

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Print

Medium

Color lithographic poster adhered to canvas mount

Dimensions

Sheet: 84 × 61 cm (33 1/16 × 24")

See more items in

National Portrait Gallery Collection

National Portrait Gallery

Topic

Costume\Jewelry\Necklace\Pearl

Nature & Environment\Animal\Cat

Costume\Dress Accessory\Glove\Gloves

Equipment\Smoking Implements\Cigarette

Costume\Hair Accessory

Poster

Equipment\Smoking Implements\Cigarette holder

Audrey Hepburn: Female

Audrey Hepburn: Politics and Government\Diplomat\Ambassador

Audrey Hepburn: Society and Social Change\Reformer\Social reformer

Audrey Hepburn: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Theater

Audrey Hepburn: Performing Arts\Performer\Actor\Movie

Audrey Hepburn: Oscar

Audrey Hepburn: Presidential Medal of Freedom

Portrait

Record ID

npg_NPG.2014.37

Metadata Usage (text)

Usage conditions apply

GUID (Link to Original Record)

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4a370d025-292f-4e67-bf5e-beb71d49901d