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Stage Property

1955 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This decoration formed part of the setting designed by Oliver Messel for André Ernest Grétry's 18th century opera, Zémire et Azor, which was performed by the Bath Festival Society in 1955. 18th century operas were extremely formal, and the lettering was probably used on a structure under which Zémire sat or stood.

There is an old cliché that objects made for the theatre are 'crude' and slapdash. What they do have to be is bold, but most stand up to scrutiny as excellent examples of the maker's craft. The wiring of the elaborate letting is extremely skilful, as is the overlaying with the gold braid, which would have taken much patience to coax around the curves and angles. The style is accurate, down the accent over the first 'E'.

Oliver Messel (1904-1978) was Britain's leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, working in every aspect of entertainment - ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue - as well as in interior decoration and textile design. His lavish, painterly and romantic designs informed by period styles, were perfectly in tune with his times and earned him an international reputation. By 1960, however, Messel's style had become unfashionable, having no sympathy with the new 'kitchen sink' school of theatre. He increasingly concentrated on non-theatrical painting and designing and eventually retired to the Caribbean, where he began a new career designing and building highly idiosyncratic luxury villas.


Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
gold tinsel braid, thread covered wire, sellotape
Brief description
Stage decoration formed of the word Zémire, designed by Oliver Messel for Grétry's opera, Zémire et Azor, Bath Festival Society, Theatre Royal, Bath, 1955
Physical description
The decoration is formed of two spaced curves of thread-covered wire, the upper curve finished in two loops. Between the wires are fixed the letters Z É M I R E in elaborate script, formed of shaped wire covered with gold tinsel braid, held in place with wire and sellotape.
Production typeDesign
Credit line
Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A
Object history
Lord Snowdon, Oliver Messel's nephew, inherited Messel's remaining designs and artefacts (many designs were sold or given away during the artist's lifetime). The collection was briefly stored in a disused chapel in Kensington Palace before being placed on indefinite loan to the V&A Theatre Museum from 1981. The Oliver Messel Collection was purchased from Lord Snowdon in 2005 with the aid of the Heritage Lottery Fund, The Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A.
Production
Reason For Production: Commission
Summary
This decoration formed part of the setting designed by Oliver Messel for André Ernest Grétry's 18th century opera, Zémire et Azor, which was performed by the Bath Festival Society in 1955. 18th century operas were extremely formal, and the lettering was probably used on a structure under which Zémire sat or stood.

There is an old cliché that objects made for the theatre are 'crude' and slapdash. What they do have to be is bold, but most stand up to scrutiny as excellent examples of the maker's craft. The wiring of the elaborate letting is extremely skilful, as is the overlaying with the gold braid, which would have taken much patience to coax around the curves and angles. The style is accurate, down the accent over the first 'E'.

Oliver Messel (1904-1978) was Britain's leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, working in every aspect of entertainment - ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue - as well as in interior decoration and textile design. His lavish, painterly and romantic designs informed by period styles, were perfectly in tune with his times and earned him an international reputation. By 1960, however, Messel's style had become unfashionable, having no sympathy with the new 'kitchen sink' school of theatre. He increasingly concentrated on non-theatrical painting and designing and eventually retired to the Caribbean, where he began a new career designing and building highly idiosyncratic luxury villas.
Other number
ROT 8850 - TM Rotation Number
Collection
Accession number
S.536-2006

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Record createdFebruary 28, 2007
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