Set Model
1954 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
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 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.
This set model shows Dr. Bartolo's music room, the setting for Figaro and Count Almaviva's amusing intrigues in Act II. Messel's use of strong colour contrasts, black, bright yellow and red for the set and costumes, shows the influence of the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya (1746-1828).
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.
This set model shows Dr. Bartolo's music room, the setting for Figaro and Count Almaviva's amusing intrigues in Act II. Messel's use of strong colour contrasts, black, bright yellow and red for the set and costumes, shows the influence of the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya (1746-1828).
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Wood, paint, paper |
| Brief description | Set model by Oliver Messel for Act II of Rossini's opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), Glyndebourne 1954. |
| Physical description | A set model by Oliver Messel for Act II of a Glyndebourne production of Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 1954. The set model is enclosed within a carved wooden box with velvet sides on the inside. Interior of Dr. Bartolo's music room, featuring yellow walls with gold curvilinear decoration. The room is seen from an angle. The ceiling is also decorated. A gilt framed portrait on the wall and a gilt mirror and candelabra. Furniture includes chairs, piano and table with a quill in an ink pot. A female figure stands behind one of the chairs. |
| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions | 'BARBER OF SEVILLE ROT 8883' (Label on the side of the box.) |
| Credit line | Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | 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. |
| Production | Reason For Production: Commission |
| Summary | 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 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. This set model shows Dr. Bartolo's music room, the setting for Figaro and Count Almaviva's amusing intrigues in Act II. Messel's use of strong colour contrasts, black, bright yellow and red for the set and costumes, shows the influence of the Spanish painter Francisco de Goya (1746-1828). |
| Associated object | S.44-2006 (Study for) |
| Bibliographic reference | 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) |
| Other number | ROT 8883 - TM Rotation Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.209-2006 |
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| Record created | July 24, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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