The Rocket Man—aka the legendary musician Elton John—has been captured in all his (domestic) glory by Catherine Opie ahead of a major retrospective dedicated to the LGBTQ+ trailblazing photographer opening this week at the National Portrait Gallery in London (Catherine Opie: To Be Seen, 5 March-31 May). In the new portrait, on show in Room 30 (Mary Weston Gallery), the Private Dancer singer is shown at home with his husband David Furnish and his sons Zachary Furnish-John and Elijah Furnish-John.
“Through this family portrait Opie celebrates queer and celebrity lives within the visual language of domesticity and belonging,” the gallery says. Opie chose to photograph the Furnish-John family with their pet Labradors Joseph and Jacob at their family home in Old Windsor. Opie says: “I arrived at Elton and David’s house three days before Christmas. I met the boys and the dogs and after a great lunch together I made this family portrait of them in their library. It is truly an honour to photograph Elton, David, Zachary, and Elijah. For me it represents the humanity of what family can be.” The commission is supported by the art foundation iArtis.