Beyoncé's Vogue Portrait To Be Permanently Displayed In Smithsonian Gallery, 'Considered Historic'

In 2018, Beyonce graced the cover of Vogue in what has now come to be a particularly significant event. The occasion was "considered historic" due to the fact that it was the first time the cover photo was shot by a black photographer.

Now, on top of that milestone, both the "Single Ladies" singer and the artist behind the lens have another accomplishment to their names, as the portrait has been officially acquired by the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC. According to Uproxx, the photo will be included in their permanent collection in the future.

In an email to CNN, Leslie Ureña, who serves as Associate Curator of Photographs at the location, said that they were "delighted to acquire this magnificent portrait of Beyonce."

Tyler Mitchell, the 23-year-old responsible for the image, also announced the decision on his Instagram account yesterday.

"A year ago today we broke the flood gates open. Since then it was important to spend the whole year running through them making sure every piece of the gate was knocked down. And now I’m glad to share this picture is being acquired into the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s permanent collection," he wrote.

Additionally, around the time of the cover's debut, the photographer shared that Beyoncé had been wonderful to work with during the process.

"You'd imagine someone as famous as Beyoncé to be protective of her image, but she was really an open book -- and that's exactly what you want as a photographer," he revealed. Below is a behind-the-scenes look of how it all came together.

Not only was this portrait significant for the aforementioned reasons, but it also marked the first time that a subject was given so much editorial control over a shoot. The choices are usually made by editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. However, the "Formation" singer said that she would only take part in the issue if she had control over how she was portrayed and what photographer they used.

At this time, it remains unclear when and how the portrait will ultimately be displayed in the collection.