Costume Design
1947-1956 (designed), 1956 (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.
Messel designed two versions of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute (1791), at Covent Garden Opera Trust (1947) and at Glyndebourne (1956), for which he adapted his designs from 1947. These productions were two of the first three stagings of this opera after the end of World War II. Some reviewers found his designs elegant and a fantastic spectacle; however, others found the designs too fussy and elaborate for the small Glyndebourne stage.
Messel’s portrait sketch for the attendants to the Queen of Night emphasises heavy black eye makeup. Unusually for Messel, and according to his inscription on the design, his inspiration is a portrait by one of his contemporaries, the British artist, Augustus John (1878-1961).
Messel designed two versions of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute (1791), at Covent Garden Opera Trust (1947) and at Glyndebourne (1956), for which he adapted his designs from 1947. These productions were two of the first three stagings of this opera after the end of World War II. Some reviewers found his designs elegant and a fantastic spectacle; however, others found the designs too fussy and elaborate for the small Glyndebourne stage.
Messel’s portrait sketch for the attendants to the Queen of Night emphasises heavy black eye makeup. Unusually for Messel, and according to his inscription on the design, his inspiration is a portrait by one of his contemporaries, the British artist, Augustus John (1878-1961).
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Charcoal, pencil, gouache and watercolour on paper |
| Brief description | Portrait sketch by Oliver Messel for three ladies in a Covent Garden Opera Trust production of The Magic Flute, 1947, or a Glyndebourne production, 1956. |
| Physical description | A portrait sketch by Oliver Messel for three ladies. A close up of a woman's head veiled in black. Heavy black eye makeup. Blue eyes. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Design |
| Marks and inscriptions | '3 ladies / very heavy eye / make up like / Augustus John's / picture of Maretsa Carati. / White complexion:' (Pencil inscription on the front of the sheet.) |
| Credit line | Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A |
| Object history | The Magic Flute (1791), an opera in two acts by Mozart with libretto by Schikaneder from Christoph Martin Wieland’s Lulu, or, The Magic Flute. Oliver Messel’s production was first performed at the Royal Opera House, London, by the Covent Garden Opera Trust on 20 March 1947. It was directed by Malcolm Baker-Smith and featured Kenneth Neafe as Tamino and Victoria Sladen as Pamina. This was the first opera that Messel designed. Messel created new costume and set designs for a Glyndebourne production, first presented 19 July, 1956. Directed by Carl Ebert, Ernst Häefliger played Tamino, Pilar Lorengar was Pamina and Drago Bernardic was Sarastro. 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: Oliver Messel's first costume and set designs for an opera production. |
| Production | The design could have been produced for the 1947 or 1956 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. Messel designed two versions of Mozart’s opera The Magic Flute (1791), at Covent Garden Opera Trust (1947) and at Glyndebourne (1956), for which he adapted his designs from 1947. These productions were two of the first three stagings of this opera after the end of World War II. Some reviewers found his designs elegant and a fantastic spectacle; however, others found the designs too fussy and elaborate for the small Glyndebourne stage. Messel’s portrait sketch for the attendants to the Queen of Night emphasises heavy black eye makeup. Unusually for Messel, and according to his inscription on the design, his inspiration is a portrait by one of his contemporaries, the British artist, Augustus John (1878-1961). |
| 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 1981 - TM Rotation Number |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.155-2006 |
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| Record created | June 21, 2006 |
| Record URL |
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