George Sheringham (1884-1937) was a decorative painter, theatrical designer and book illustrator. He studied at the Slade School of Fine Art in London (1899-1901) and then at the Sorbonne in Paris. He exhibited with the International Society from 1922 and received a Grand Prix at the Paris Salon in 1925 for mural and theatrical design. During his career Sheringham worked as a set and costume designer for a number of plays and operas, including new productions of Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance and Patience for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company’s 1929 season. Other productions included Arne’s Love in the Village, Sheridan’s The Duenna, John Galsworthy’s The Skin Game and the Stratford Memorial Theatre’s opening production of Twelfth Night. Sheringham also illustrated several books including Edmond Rostand’s La Princesse Lointaine and Max Beerbohm’s The Happy Hypocrite, published in 1915. An author himself, he published Drawing in Pen and Pencil in 1922, followed by Design in the Theatre in 1927. Sheringham was a prolific fan, poster and mural artist with his murals including panels for the ballroom at Claridge’s Hotel and the music room at 40 Devonshire House. Although primarily a designer, Sheringham produced occasional still-life and landscape compositions. An invalid from 1932, he continued to paint flowers until his death on 11 November 1937.

This work is a design for the stage setting of the light opera Midsummer Madness by Clifford Bax, with music composed by Armstrong Gibbs. It was first produced by Sir Nigel Playfair at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith on 3 July 1924. Upon release, The Musical Times called it “capital tuneful stuff that well deserves the success it has achieved”. The design is typical example of Sheringham’s work of the 1920s and was given to the museum by Sir Nigel’s son, C.A.L. Playfair. Other works by George Sheringham in the V&A’s collections include costume designs for productions of Sheridan’s The Duenna (1924) and Dumas’ The Lady of Camellias (1930) as well HMS Pinafore (1929).

Sources:

The Musical Times, Vol. 65, No. 980 (Oct. 1, 1924), p.912

Mary Chamot, Dennis Farr & Martin Butlin (eds.), The Modern British Paintings, Drawings and Sculpture, Vol. 2, (London: Oldbourne Press, 1964), p.618.