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Rose of Persia

Poster
1899 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Subjects Depicted

Richard D’Oyly Carte employed Dudley Hardy to design posters for his theatre productions at the Savoy Theatre. This poster design was for the comic opera Rose of Persia, which featured a plot centred on dancing girls and thick with mistaken identities and disguises. It played at the Savoy in 1899 and was a great success, focussing more heavily on dance than other comic operas.

People

Dudley Hardy made his name originally as a painter and illustrator. His bold venture into poster design in the 1890s gave him scope for all sorts of unconventional ideas. Although he was influenced by designers of the French 'artistic' poster, such as Jules Cheret, he developed a characteristically English approach with his simplified style and integrated lettering. After his initial success with a poster nicknamed 'The Yellow Girl', advertising the To-Day magazine, many of his earliest posters were commissioned for theatrical productions by the well-known firm of publishers Waterlow & Sons.

Design & Designing

Poster magazine praised the clarity of outline and colour schemes in Hardy’s work and described him as a pioneer of the 'artistic' poster. Hardy gave his views on design in an interview with the same magazine in December 1899: 'both from the artistic and commercial point of view, [posters] should be as simple and striking as possibly; very little background, very little detail, a bold, striking line which will arrest the eye of the passer-by.'


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleRose of Persia (generic title)
Materials and techniques
colour lithography
Brief description
'The Rose Of Persia'. Colour lithograph poster advertising a production by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company of the comic opera by B Hook. Designed by Dudley Hardy. London, England. 1899.
Physical description
'The Rose Of Persia'. Colour lithograph poster advertising a production by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company of the comic opera by B Hook. The design features a dancing girl with red hair, dressed in white bloomers, dress, shoes and a blue belt, in a painterly style against a blue background with a white and green frame. Signed.
Dimensions
  • Height: 74.3cm
  • Width: 49.2cm
Dimensions taken from: Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'THE ROSE OF PERSIA' (In two sizes of text, top in white against green.)
  • "D'OYLY CARTE'S / OPERA COMPANY" (In two size of text, black against a green background.)
  • 'Dudley Hardy' (Signed on stone, white, lower left of main image.)
  • 'BY BASIL HOOD AND ARTHUR SULLIVAN' (Top below title.)
  • 'Copyright Regd.' (Lower right.)
  • 'Waterlow & Sons Ltd. London Wall, London, E.C.' (Lower left.)
Gallery label
British Galleries: THE ROSE OF PERSIA 1899 The vivacious dancing lady on this poster is reminiscent of French design. The illustrator and painter Dudley Hardy, a pioneer of the ‘artistic’ poster, was influenced by French designers such as Jules Cheret (1836–1932). The style here contrasts with the bold clarity of the poster to the right [Yeomen of the Guard E.3303-1932], also by Hardy. Colour lithograph, inks on paper Designed by Dudley Hardy (born in Sheffield, 1867, died in London, 1922); printed by Waterlow & Sons Ltd, London Given by Norman B. Stone Museum no. E.3304-1932(12/2012)
Credit line
Given by Norman B. Stone
Historical context
The comic opera 'The Rose Of Persia' was written by B Hook, with music by A Sullivan. It was first produced at the Savoy Theatre, London, 29 November 1899.
Subjects depicted
Association
Summary
Subjects Depicted

Richard D’Oyly Carte employed Dudley Hardy to design posters for his theatre productions at the Savoy Theatre. This poster design was for the comic opera Rose of Persia, which featured a plot centred on dancing girls and thick with mistaken identities and disguises. It played at the Savoy in 1899 and was a great success, focussing more heavily on dance than other comic operas.

People

Dudley Hardy made his name originally as a painter and illustrator. His bold venture into poster design in the 1890s gave him scope for all sorts of unconventional ideas. Although he was influenced by designers of the French 'artistic' poster, such as Jules Cheret, he developed a characteristically English approach with his simplified style and integrated lettering. After his initial success with a poster nicknamed 'The Yellow Girl', advertising the To-Day magazine, many of his earliest posters were commissioned for theatrical productions by the well-known firm of publishers Waterlow & Sons.

Design & Designing

Poster magazine praised the clarity of outline and colour schemes in Hardy’s work and described him as a pioneer of the 'artistic' poster. Hardy gave his views on design in an interview with the same magazine in December 1899: 'both from the artistic and commercial point of view, [posters] should be as simple and striking as possibly; very little background, very little detail, a bold, striking line which will arrest the eye of the passer-by.'
Bibliographic references
  • The Poster, Vol. 2, December 1899.
  • Haill, Catherine. Theatre Posters. London, HMSO, 1983.
  • Summary Catalogue of British Posters to 1988 in the Victoria & Albert Museum in the Department of Design, Prints & Drawing. Emmett Publishing, 1990. 129 p. ISBN: 1 869934 12 1
  • Victoria & Albert Museum Department of Prints and Drawings and Department of Paintings, Accessions 1932. London: HMSO, 1933
Other number
17/B8 - V&A microfiche
Collection
Accession number
E.3304-1932

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
Record URL
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