Not on display

The School for Scandal

Costume Design
1949 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Series of costume designs created by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) probably created for The School for Scandal, at the New Theatre, London, in 1949.

Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, CBE (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was an English fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, interior designer and an Academy Award-winning stage and costume designer for films and the theatre.

The Old Vic Company production of The School for Scandal, by Richard Sheridan originally opened at the New Theatre, London in 1949. The production starred Laurence Olivier as Sir Peter Teazle and Vivien Leigh as Lady Teazle and Beaton was commissioned to design both the sets and the costumes and Miss Leigh’s dresses were made by Thérèse. It was revived at for a production at the Comédie-Française, Paris in 1962.

The set and costumes were generally well received. Harold Conway praised the ‘sumptuous costumes and brilliant back cloth settings by Cecil Beaton, which proved stimulating and provocative by turns.’ Similarly the reviewer in the Daily Telegraph declared, ‘I have not often seen a production in which my eye was more consistently pleased.’ T.C.Wolsey, writing the ‘Arts and Entertainment’ column in 1949, was less enthusiastic about the production. Whilst he felt that ‘Mr. Cecil Beaton’s drop curtains and backcloths [were] wholly successful. His dresses were less so’ and suggested that the costumes ‘sometimes add to that faint whiff of Quality Street which crops up here and there throughout the evening.’

Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe School for Scandal (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Watercolour, pen and ink on cream paper
Brief description
Series of costume designs created by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), probably intended for The School for Scandal, at the New Theatre, London, in 1949
Physical description
Series of costume designs created by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980), probably intended for <i>The School for Scandal</i>, at the New Theatre, London, in 1949. The designs are drawn and pen and ink and coloured with watercolour. They are positioned across the surface of a sheet of A1 paper. The designs are based upon stylised versions of eighteenth century dress and include costumes for Mrs. Candour, Sir Oliver, Lady Sneerwell, Lady Teazle, Sir Peter Teazle, Maria and Joseph. There is also a further image of an interior room set. The room is formal in style, which paintings mounted on the deep red walls and a central fireplace.
Dimensions
  • Height: 90.8cm
  • Width: 58cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'MRS. CANDOUR'

    Note
    Handwritten annotation next to a sketch in pen and ink

  • 'SIR OLIVER Too Strong Too Strong'

    Note
    Series of handwritten notes, next to a sketch in pen and ink, arrows indicating certain colours

  • 'LADY SNEERWELL/ACT 1 Too yellow Too yellow.'

    Note
    Series of handwritten annotations next to a sketch in pen and ink

  • 'LADY TEAZLE'

    Note
    Handwritten annotation in ink, at base of a sketch

  • 'SIR PETER/TEAZLE'

    Note
    Handwritten annotation in ink next to sketch

  • 'MARIA/ACT I Too strong'

    Note
    Handwritten annotation ink, next to sketch

  • 'JOSEPH'

    Note
    Handwritten annotation in ink, next to sketch.

Credit line
Given by the executors of Eileen Hose
Literary referenceThe School for Scandal
Summary
Series of costume designs created by Cecil Beaton (1904-1980) probably created for The School for Scandal, at the New Theatre, London, in 1949.

Sir Cecil Walter Hardy Beaton, CBE (14 January 1904 – 18 January 1980) was an English fashion, portrait and war photographer, diarist, painter, interior designer and an Academy Award-winning stage and costume designer for films and the theatre.

The Old Vic Company production of The School for Scandal, by Richard Sheridan originally opened at the New Theatre, London in 1949. The production starred Laurence Olivier as Sir Peter Teazle and Vivien Leigh as Lady Teazle and Beaton was commissioned to design both the sets and the costumes and Miss Leigh’s dresses were made by Thérèse. It was revived at for a production at the Comédie-Française, Paris in 1962.

The set and costumes were generally well received. Harold Conway praised the ‘sumptuous costumes and brilliant back cloth settings by Cecil Beaton, which proved stimulating and provocative by turns.’ Similarly the reviewer in the Daily Telegraph declared, ‘I have not often seen a production in which my eye was more consistently pleased.’ T.C.Wolsey, writing the ‘Arts and Entertainment’ column in 1949, was less enthusiastic about the production. Whilst he felt that ‘Mr. Cecil Beaton’s drop curtains and backcloths [were] wholly successful. His dresses were less so’ and suggested that the costumes ‘sometimes add to that faint whiff of Quality Street which crops up here and there throughout the evening.’
Collection
Accession number
S.2113-2014

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Record createdOctober 10, 2014
Record URL
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