Aahana Swrup
The Ellen Kuras directorial wartime biopic film ‘Lee’ chronicles the moving life and career of Elizabeth “Lee” Miller, the Vogue model-turned-WWII-war-correspondent. It presents various key events throughout Lee’s life, from her initial days in London during the Blitz to her ventures out to war-stricken France and Germany alongside fellow correspondent David E. Scherman. The narrative delves into these events as a recollection that the photojournalist shares with her son, Antony Penrose, who has found his mother’s cache of old photographs and an entirely new understanding of her identity with it.
The film offers a notably authentic dive into Lee Miller’s remarkable career, highlighting the strength of her character and her work’s significance in remaining an active observer of war’s horrors. In part, the on-screen narrative mines its knack for realism by collaborating with Antony Penrose, Miller’s real-life son and the author of her biography ‘The Lives of Lee Miller.’ Since discovering the details of his mother’s past, Penrose remains a dedicated preserver of her memory.
Antony Penrose Took a Liking to Photography From a Young Age
Born in central London on September 9, 1947, to notable surrealist artists Lee Miller and Sir Roland Penrose, Antony William Roland Penrose grew up with a remarkable childhood. He spent a significant part of his early life in Chiddingly, East Sussex, where his parents had bought the Farley Farm House. Many known artists, from Eileen Agar and Leonora Carrington to Pablo Picasso, frequented the Miller-Penrose farmhouse. As such, he remained surrounded by artistic influences of many kinds. Still, it was his mother’s influence that introduced him to the art of photography.
Despite Penrose’s distraught relationship with Miller, she served as a mentor in his early years when he discovered a fascination with the artistic medium of photography. In his early teen years, he began dabbling in photography during a visit to Picasso and a trip to Zimbabwe. Around the same time, Penrose—whose dyslexia presented some complications in his early studies—also attended the Royal Agricultural University in Cirencester, England. Down the line, he found an initiation into the filmmaking industry through Athos Films and Peter Bucknall.
Consequently, Penrose went on to work on projects such as ‘Migrate to Survive’ and the 1977 short ‘Kings’ Horses.’ Soon enough, the budding filmmaker established his own company, Penrose Film Productions Ltd, which specialized in documentaries and drama shorts. Although the company eventually closed down, Penrose’s inkling for the artistic medium remains. Recently, he returned to the world of filmmaking through his close collaboration in the making of the Ellen Kuras film ‘Lee,’ which is based on his book ‘The Lives of Lee Miller.’
Antony Penrose Began His Literary Career in 1985
Antony Penrose’s artistry initially remained confined to his photography and filmmaking endeavors. However, he found a new muse after his wife, Suzanna, uncovered a box of Lee Miller’s belongings in her in-laws’ attic. Penrose’s relationship with his mother had improved in the later days, thanks to Suzanna’s intervention. Nonetheless, he hardly knew much of Miller’s coveted past, even after losing her to cancer in 1977. Nonetheless, after discovering Miller’s belongings, which included negative film rolls, photographs, and letters, Penrose gained a whole new understanding of her life experiences.
Where Miller only shared the preliminary basics of her time as a war correspondent with her family while alive, these findings penned a vast narrative about her past. The same compelled Penrose to write a biography, piecing together his mother’s life and war stories. Thus, in 1985, he published his first book, “The Lives of Lee Miller,’ a biographical memoir and photo essay that revolves around his mother. In 2010, Penrose penned another biographical novel ‘The Boy Who Bit Picasso,’ about his own experiences as someone with a unique insight into the world-famous artist. Similarly, the photographer/filmmaker-turned-author added to his bibliography in 2016 with ‘Miró’s Magic Animals.’
Antony Penrose Continues Preserving His Parents’ Legacy
Today, Antony Penrose is most prominently known for his work in researching and preserving the decorated legacies of his mother, Lee Miller, and father, Sir Roland Penrose. He dedicated a significant portion of his life to studying and investigating the lives of his parents and their artistically gifted friend group. He and his daughter, Ami Bouhassane, are co-directors of the Lee Miller Archives, a private-run archive first established in the 1980s. The archive’s primary goal remains the conservation and dissemination of Lee Miller and Roland Penrose’s work. It’s also managed by Farleys House & Gallery Ltd, another company on which Penrose and his daughter serve as co-directors.
Furthermore, Penrose has also created other artworks revolving around his parents’ lives, including the critically acclaimed performance piece, ‘The Angel and The Fiend’ and its sequel ‘A Portrait of Space.’ Recently, his contribution to the film ‘Lee,’ has resulted in various press tour interviews and appearances, where the artist speaks about his mother’s lasting mark on history.
In October 2024, he spoke to exhibitions curator Gaëlle Morel at The Image Centre. Likewise, he also joined Kate Winslet in a Q&A session after a screening at Newlyn Film House. Outside of the same, Penrose remains a renowned lecturer who discusses the subjects of photography, art, and more. He also invests in philanthropic ventures through his charity, the Farley Arts Trust, which promotes artistic understanding and appreciation in schools.
Antony Penrose Cherishes the Time He Spends Surrounded by His Loving Family
Even though Antony Penrose has a notable public presence through his work, he seems to prefer a more private approach to his personal life. As a result, his social media presence is confined to the relevance of his work through Farleys House & Gallery and Lee Miller Archives. Apart from these, Penrose doesn’t sport any active personal social media accounts. The artist lost his first wife, Suzanne, to cancer when she was in her early 40s.
The couple had multiple kids together, including Ami Bouhassane, her sister, and her brother. Not long after Suzanna’s passing, Penrose found love again and married Roz. Today, the artist has multiple children and grandchildren who make up his close-knit clan. Given his dedication to preserving the history of the Miller-Penrose name, his family evidently remains crucial to him. The same is evident in the various joint ventures that Penrose continues to undertake with his daughter, Bouhassane.
Read More: Lee Ending: Why Did Lee Not Return Home During the War?
