Not on display

Costume Design

1957 (Drawn)
Artist/Maker
McDowell, Norman (Costume designer)
Place of origin
Great Britain (drawn)

Full length figure with long flowing hair and outstretched arms, holding a staff in the right hand, wearing enveloping garment fixed over the arms simulating grey rags. Watercolour and gouache on black paper.

Object details

Categories
Entertainment & Leisure
Dance
Drawings
Object type
Costume design
Materials and techniques
Watercolour, Chinese white on black paper
Watercolour
Chinese White
Paper
Drawing (Image-Making)
Brief description
Costume design by Norman McDowell for the Conjor-Man in Jack Carter's ballet The Witch Boy, for the production by Festival Ballet in 1957.
Physical description
Full length figure with long flowing hair and outstretched arms, holding a staff in the right hand, wearing enveloping garment fixed over the arms simulating grey rags. Watercolour and gouache on black paper.
Dimensions
  • Height: 344mm
  • Width: 285mm
Production typeUnique
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'The Blind-' (Textual information; Top right edge; Handwriting; Chinese white)
  • 'Witchboy 1957' (Textual information; Lower left corner; Handwriting; Chinese white)
  • 'NMc-Dowell.' (Signature; Lower right corner; Handwriting; Chinese white)
Credit line
Cyril W. Beaumont Bequest
Object history
Costume design by Norman McDowell for the Conjor-Man in Jack Carter's ballet The Witch Boy, for the production by Festival Ballet in 1957, when the role was danced by Kenneth Sudell. The Witch Boy was created in 1956 by Carter for the Ballet der Lang Landen in Amsterdam, with designs by McDowell.
The design came to the Museum as part of the Cyril Beaumont Bequest.

Historical significance: An example of design by a leading specialist dance designer of the mid 20th century.
Subject depicted
Costume
Collection
Theatre and Performance Collection
Accession number
S.283-2000

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Record createdNovember 14, 2000
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O49310/costume-design-mcdowell-norman/
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