Fragile Beauty

Over the past three decades, Sir Elton John and David Furnish have carefully built an unrivaled collection of photography. Remarkable in its range and depth, it’s a who’s who of photographer and subject ranging across disciplines from fashion and film to landscape and reportage. Compiled by Duncan Forbes, head of photography at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, this book presents 150 of the most important photographs from 1950 to today from artists including Diane Arbus, Richard Avedon, Nan Goldin, David LaChapelle, Robert Mapplethorpe, Zanele Muholi, Helmut Newton, Cindy Sherman, Andy Warhol, and Ai Weiwei.

Featuring an afterword from Sam Taylor-Johnson and an in-depth interview by Russell Tovey and Robert Diament as well as curatorial insights into themes within the collection, readers will be immersed in photographs that are beautiful, dynamic, striking, sometimes disturbing but always inspiring.

Format: Hardback
Pages: 256
Imprint: V & A Publishing
Publication date: 09/05/2024