Costume design
- Place of origin:
London, England (designed)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel, born 1904 - died 1978 (designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Charcoal, pencil, gouache, watercolour on paper
- Credit Line:
Acquired with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A.
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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Oliver Messel (1904-1978) was Britain’s leading theatre designer throughout the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, mastering every aspect of entertainment - ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue - as well as working in interior decoration and textile design. His lavish, painterly and romantic concepts were perfectly in tune with the times and earned him an international reputation. By 1960, however, that style was becoming unfashionable, and Messel gradually abandoned theatre and built a new career designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.
Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville (1816) is based on a comedy (1775) by Beaumarchais (1732-1799). Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina, Dr. Bartolo’s beautiful ward. With the aid of Figaro, a mischievous and clever barber, he seeks to release Rosina from Dr. Bartolo’s clutches. Messel designed costumes and sets for a Glyndebourne production in 1954 which, despite its popularity, was only revived twice.
Figaro enters the stage and declares ‘I’m the factotum of the town’; his occupation as a barber enables him to occupy a position of influence and power. He assists Count Almaviva to win the heart of Rosina. Sesto Bruscantini (1919-2003), a baritone, played the role of Figaro in this Messel production, and reprised the role over the course of his career.
Physical description
Costume design for Figaro in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 1954. Figaro is depicted in full length facing to his right with his right hand raised. He wears a navy and light blue striped jacket and matching breeches, with mustard yellow decorative details on shoulders, knees and cuffs, and white stockings with dark red decoration and black shoes. He has a burgundy sash at his waist and black ribbons in his hair..
Place of Origin
London, England (designed)
Date
1954 (designed)
Artist/maker
Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel, born 1904 - died 1978 (designer)
Materials and Techniques
Charcoal, pencil, gouache, watercolour on paper
Marks and inscriptions
'Oliver Messel'
'Figaro'
Dimensions
Height: 37.7 cm, Width: 25.1 cm
Object history note
Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), an opera (1816) in two acts, was composed by Rossini with libretto by Sterbini after Beaumarchais’s comedy of the same name (1775). Oliver Messel’s production was first performed by the Glyndebourne Festival Opera at Glyndebourne on 10 June, 1954; directed by Carl Ebert, featuring Bruscantini as Figaro and Graziella Sciutti as Rosina. It was revived at the Edinburgh Festival in 1955 and at Glyndebourne in 1961. Roger Pinkham has said of this production that “Messel chose a palette which echoed the contrasted and thus dramatic coloration of Goya’s paintings.” (Pinkham, ed., 1983).
Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's theatre designs and other designs and artefacts. The designs were briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being housed at the V&A from 1981 on indefinite loan. The V&A Theatre Museum purchased the Oliver Messel collection from Lord Snowdon in 2005.
Historical significance: Messel worked for Glyndebourne from 1951 to 1959, when he was at the height of his popularity as a designer for the stage. His work for Glyndebourne in this period is regarded as some of his best designs.
Descriptive line
Costume design by Oliver Messel for Figaro in Rossini's opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), Glyndebourne 1954.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Pinkham, Roger (ed.) Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983. 200p., ill ISBN 0905209508)
Exhibition History
Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum Victoria and Albert Museum (Victoria and Albert Museum 22/06/1983-30/10/1983)
Production Note
Reason For Production: Commission
Materials
Paper; Pencil; Watercolour; Gouache; Charcoal
Techniques
Drawing (image-making); Painting (image-making)
Subjects depicted
Costume
Categories
Entertainment & Leisure; Designs
Production Type
Design
Collection code
T&P
