Turandot
Set Design
1961-1963 (made)
1961-1963 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Set design created by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) for Turandot, Metropolitan Opera, New York, 1961 and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 1963.
Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) was best known as a photographer. Beaton also worked as an illustrator, a diarist, and designer for stage and film. He won three Oscars for costume and art direction for the film version of My Fair Lady (1965) and for Gigi (1958).
Beaton first designed a production of Turandot for the Metropolitan Opera House, New York in 1961. Two years later a version of the same production was revived at at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Beaton’s designs for this production, which is set in a mythical China, were informed by his work as a war photographer in Burma, India and China in the 1940s.
Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) was best known as a photographer. Beaton also worked as an illustrator, a diarist, and designer for stage and film. He won three Oscars for costume and art direction for the film version of My Fair Lady (1965) and for Gigi (1958).
Beaton first designed a production of Turandot for the Metropolitan Opera House, New York in 1961. Two years later a version of the same production was revived at at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Beaton’s designs for this production, which is set in a mythical China, were informed by his work as a war photographer in Burma, India and China in the 1940s.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Turandot (named collection) |
| Materials and techniques | Black ink on paper, with watercolour wash |
| Brief description | Set design created by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) for Turandot, Metropolitan Opera, New York, 1961 and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 1963 |
| Physical description | Black ink landscape drawing showing a view of a garden, framed by columns. A flight of stairs is positioned at the centre of the scene, curving back into the distance. A series of minarets are positioned throughout the garden which is dominated by tall trees and foliage. The columns have been painted grey and a pale green wash has been used on the garden behind them. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by the executors of Eileen Hose |
| Literary reference | Turandot |
| Summary | Set design created by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) for Turandot, Metropolitan Opera, New York, 1961 and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London, 1963. Sir Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) was best known as a photographer. Beaton also worked as an illustrator, a diarist, and designer for stage and film. He won three Oscars for costume and art direction for the film version of My Fair Lady (1965) and for Gigi (1958). Beaton first designed a production of Turandot for the Metropolitan Opera House, New York in 1961. Two years later a version of the same production was revived at at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Beaton’s designs for this production, which is set in a mythical China, were informed by his work as a war photographer in Burma, India and China in the 1940s. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | S.2106-2014 |
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| Record created | October 9, 2014 |
| Record URL |
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