"Love or hate her, the world is still obsessed by that woman."

Roland Mouret quote. Hannah Rand, 8th September 2011. Vogue Style Finder

Wallis Simpson, Pictured here by Cecil Beaton (June 1, 1937) Available to view
www.dailylife.com.au/dl-fashion/that-woman-20120412-1wvz6.html

My first reaction to the image of Wallis Simpson in Elsa Schiaparelli's 'Lobster Dress', is that Cecil Beaton was trying to convey an image of innocence by placing Simpson in amongst the trees and nature. However this thought is doubted by the face that she is just holding what appears to be sticks or thistles of some sort in a bunch and raised; maybe to convey that Simpson was seen as a controversial and fierce figure, when actually there was a more innocent persona underneath the image that was created by the public after the abdication. The facial expression that Simpson has also suggests maybe pain with the look that is in her eye. It almost looks as if she is weary of something; maybe of how Cecil Beaton was going to portray her, or maybe she is weary of whatever she appears to be looking at in the distance.  

The image itself looks like a candid press shot as it doesn't look like a typical professional portrait from that time. The other professional portraits I have seen of Simpson all show her in the typical fashion of a side on pose staring into the camera. But as there is more than one photograph of Simpson dressed in the 'Lobster Dress' by Cecil Beaton I would say that it is a professional portrait, deliberately posed to convey Simpson as a saint; saint here portrayed by the facial expression, when in fact she was anything but; here portrayed by the choice of animal on the dress.

The background of the image seems to engulf Simpson which may have been strategically posed to show that Simpson was also overcome by the events that led to her name being everywhere and the speculation of what was happening. The main focus of the image should have been Elsa Schiaparelli's 'Lobster Dress', however this is taken over by the nature surrounding Simpson. Schiaparelli was known for creating contemporary fashion that conveyed a sense of freedom; therefore this may be why Simpson is wearing the dress to show the public that she wants freedom to be with the man that she loved. This theory may also suggest that the shot was therefore a professional portrait to show the public this idea.

Beaton himself, I believe, has created two sides of Simpson in this one shot. Capturing her facial expression of weariness but also placing her in the roughness of the nature. Maybe Cecil Beaton did this to create a light in which the public wouldn't know whether to love or hate her. As the audience doesn't know what Simpson is looking at, it may suggest that the image was cropped in order to make her the main focus and to create this wonder. Therefore I believe that this image was set up in order to create a perception of Wallis Simpson that would show an insight into her own struggles and emotions in what could have only been described as a turbulent time in her life.