Not currently on display at the V&A

Costume Design

late 19th century (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Pink radish head with face to left, the leaves covering the body to the ground from which protrude green hands and arms and legs. To the right from the feet is an indicated shadow. Pen and ink and watercolour over pencil. Signed and annotated.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Pen and ink and watercolour over pencil on card
Brief description
Costume design by P Croce for a Radish in the ballet in Amor, late 19th century
Physical description
Pink radish head with face to left, the leaves covering the body to the ground from which protrude green hands and arms and legs. To the right from the feet is an indicated shadow. Pen and ink and watercolour over pencil. Signed and annotated.
Dimensions
  • Height: 75cm
  • Width: 49.8cm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'P. Croce' (Signature; Lower right hand side; Handwriting; Watercolour)
  • 'Amor / costume del / Ballo' (Textual information; Italian; Reverse top edge; Handwriting; Pen and ink; Unknown)
    Translation
    Love, ballet costume
Gallery label
Gallery rotation, 2020 COSTUME DESIGNS FOR AMOR 1886 From a series of ten vegetable-themed costume designs for the ballet Amor, these sketches depict a potato, carrot, sweet chestnut and radish. The leafy foliage would have moved elegantly with the dancers’ movements – although their steps may have been restricted by the bulky bodysuits. Sadly, as no examples of the finished costumes have survived, we do not know what they actually looked like. Designed by P. Croce Pencil and watercolour on card Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest Museum nos. S.231, 232, 234, 235-2000(2020)
Credit line
Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest
Object history
This costume was designed for the ballet Amor, and may relate to the ballet with choreography by Luigi Manzotti premiered at La Scala, Milan, in 1886. The design came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest and was proably acquired by him as possible illustration in his various publications on ballet design. Four of the designs (this design S.232-2000 with S.234-2000, S.235-2000 and S.354-2001) from the group of ten in the collection were reproduced in Beaumont's Five Centuries of Ballet Design, published by The Studio Ltd., London, nd.

Historical significance: An example of a costume in the shape of a vegetable from one of the large spectacular realistic productions which characterised Italian ballet in the late 19th century.
Subjects depicted
Collection
Accession number
S.232-2000

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Record createdDecember 21, 2000
Record URL
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