Costume design
- Place of origin:
London, England (designed)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel, born 1904 - died 1978 (designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
Charcoal, ink, pencil, gouache, paint, watercolour on paper
- Credit Line:
Acquired with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund, National Art Collections Fund and Friends of the V&A.
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
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Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles. His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.
Rossini’s comic opera La Cenerentola (1817), is based on Charles Perrault’s fairy tale Cinderella (1697). Prince Ramiro holds a ball and will choose the most beautiful woman in attendance to be his wife. Cinderella overcomes the malevolence of her step-sisters and step-father to captivate the Prince. Messel designed fun and light-hearted costumes and sets for the 1952 Glyndebourne production. The production proved popular, and was revived five times.
The Baron, Don Magnifico, is dressed grandly for Prince Ramiro’s ball, in a jacket trimmed in gold and a purple and yellow sash across his shoulder. On the right, Messel painted a detail of the back of the jacket for the guidance of the costume maker.
Physical description
A costume design by Oliver Messel for The Baron, Don Magnifico, in the Glyndebourne production of La Cenerentola, 1952. Don Magnifico is depicted in full length facing the viewer. He wears white breeches and stockings with a blue jacket trimmed in gold. Underneath, a gold and white shirt. He also wears a yellow and purple sash across the body from left to right. To the right of the figure, a watercolour sketch of the back of the jacket.
Place of Origin
London, England (designed)
Date
1952 (designed)
Artist/maker
Oliver Hilary Sambourne Messel, born 1904 - died 1978 (designer)
Materials and Techniques
Charcoal, ink, pencil, gouache, paint, watercolour on paper
Marks and inscriptions
'Oliver Messel'
'I for The Ball'
'White Breeches & Socks'
Dimensions
Height: 37.7 cm, Width: 25.1 cm
Object history note
La Cenerentola, an opera (1817) in two acts, was composed by Rossini with a libretto by Ferretti, and was adapted from the fairy tale Cendrillon (Cinderella) by Charles Perrault (1697). Oliver Messel’s production was first performed by the Glyndebourne Festival Society at Glyndebourne on 18 June 1952; directed by Carl Ebert and featuring Juan Oncina as Don Ramiro and Sesto Bruscantini as Dandini. It was revived in 1953 (Edinburgh Festival), 1954 (Berlin), 1956 (Liverpool), 1959 and 1960 (Glyndebourne).
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 The Baron, Don Magnifico in Rossini's opera La Cenerentola, Glyndebourne 1952.
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; Ink; Gouache; Charcoal
Techniques
Drawing (image-making); Painting (image-making)
Categories
Entertainment & Leisure; Designs
Production Type
Design
Collection code
T&P
