A portrait of Beyoncé, which was featured in Vogue’s September 2018 fashion issue, is set to be added to the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection.
The image was shot by Tyler Mitchell, who is the first African-American to shoot a cover for the magazine, as well as the youngest at age 23. It is just one of several images created for that specific issue.
Mitchell took to Twitter on Tuesday to share the exciting news.
“A year ago today we broke the flood gates open,” Mitchell said. “Now I’m glad to share this picture is being acquired into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection.”
The National Portrait Gallery, which is apart of the Smithsonian Institution, said that the acquisition of the image has been approved and is underway, according to CNN. However, they do not know exactly when the image will be displayed to the public. The museum is located in Washington D.C.
In the portrait, Beyoncé can be seen wearing a dress by Valentino and a hat by Philip Treacy. Additionally, the shoot took place in the English countryside.
In the magazine’s September issue, Beyoncé talked about the importance of black representation.
“When I first started, 21 years ago, I was told that it was hard for me to get onto covers of magazines because black people did not sell,” she said. “Clearly that has been proven a myth. Not only is an African-American on the cover of the most important month for Vogue, this is the first ever Vogue cover shot by an African-American photographer.”
The infamous image is not the only portrait of the singer displayed in the gallery. Photos which appeared on Beyoncé’s 2003 album, Dangerously in Love, can also be seen as part of the 20th Century Americans: 2000 to Present exhibition.
