Medea
Set Design
1948 (made)
1948 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Set design created by Leslie Hurry for the set in front of Medea’s House in Corinth in a production of Medea by Euripides, directed by John Gielgud and presented at the Edinburgh Festival in 1948.
Medea, a free adaptation from the original play by Euripides, was created by the America poet, Robinson Jeffers. The production was directed by John Gielgud for the Royal Lyceum Theatre and was presented between 22 August and 12 September as part of the 1948 Edinburgh Festival. It transferred to the Globe Theatre, London on 27 September 1948.
Harold Hobson described the Edinburgh staging as having no ‘notions of magazine-cover beauty. The vast palace in which he houses Medea has Greek foundations in pediment and pillars. But these bulge and burgeon out of classical proportion, they are outlandish and rain-sodden like Stonehenge and are situated in the middle of a wild and desolate plain which the storms of a thousand years have brought to this desolation and sterility.’
Medea, a free adaptation from the original play by Euripides, was created by the America poet, Robinson Jeffers. The production was directed by John Gielgud for the Royal Lyceum Theatre and was presented between 22 August and 12 September as part of the 1948 Edinburgh Festival. It transferred to the Globe Theatre, London on 27 September 1948.
Harold Hobson described the Edinburgh staging as having no ‘notions of magazine-cover beauty. The vast palace in which he houses Medea has Greek foundations in pediment and pillars. But these bulge and burgeon out of classical proportion, they are outlandish and rain-sodden like Stonehenge and are situated in the middle of a wild and desolate plain which the storms of a thousand years have brought to this desolation and sterility.’
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Medea (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Black ink, watercolour and pencil drawing |
| Brief description | Set design created by Leslie Hurry for the set in front of Medea’s House in Corinth in a production of Medea by Euripides, directed by John Gielgud and presented at the Edinburgh Festival in 1948 |
| Physical description | Set design created by Leslie Hurry for the set in front of Medea’s House in Corinth in a production of Medea by Euripides, directed by John Gielgud and presented at the Edinburgh Festival in 1948. The design is executed in watercolour, pastel, pen and ink. It shows a dark, rocky landscape. At the centre of the scene is a flight of stairs, with a further staircase leading off into the distance, stage right . A doorway in the visible in the distance is flanked a corridor, and framed by two upright, circular columns which dominate the scene. The rocks, staircase and building are white, tones of red, yellow, green and blue have been used to shade in the background, and to add detailing to the passageway which leads to the door. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mrs Caro Rathbone |
| Literary reference | Medea |
| Summary | Set design created by Leslie Hurry for the set in front of Medea’s House in Corinth in a production of Medea by Euripides, directed by John Gielgud and presented at the Edinburgh Festival in 1948. Medea, a free adaptation from the original play by Euripides, was created by the America poet, Robinson Jeffers. The production was directed by John Gielgud for the Royal Lyceum Theatre and was presented between 22 August and 12 September as part of the 1948 Edinburgh Festival. It transferred to the Globe Theatre, London on 27 September 1948. Harold Hobson described the Edinburgh staging as having no ‘notions of magazine-cover beauty. The vast palace in which he houses Medea has Greek foundations in pediment and pillars. But these bulge and burgeon out of classical proportion, they are outlandish and rain-sodden like Stonehenge and are situated in the middle of a wild and desolate plain which the storms of a thousand years have brought to this desolation and sterility.’ |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.2069-2014 |
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| Record created | September 18, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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