{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O123755"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O123755/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6942/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6942/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BH6942","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O123755/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O123755","accessionNumber":"S.38-2006","objectType":"Costume design","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Oliver Messel (1904-1978) was Britain’s leading theatre designer throughout the 1930s, ‘40s and ‘50s, mastering every aspect of entertainment - ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue - as well working in interior decoration and textile design. His lavish, painterly and romantic concepts were perfectly in tune with the times and earned him an international reputation.  By 1960, however, that style was becoming unfashionable, and Messel gradually abandoned theatre and built a new career designing luxury homes in the Caribbean. \r\n\r\nRossini’s opera <i>The Barber of Seville</i> (1816) is based on a comedy (1775) by Beaumarchais (1732-1799).   Count Almaviva is in love with Rosina, Dr. Bartolo’s beautiful ward.  With the aid of Figaro, a mischievous and clever barber, he seeks to release Rosina from Dr. Bartolo’s clutches.   Messel designed costumes and sets for a Glyndebourne production in 1954, which despite its popularity, was only revived twice.  \r\n\r\nCount Almaviva disguises himself as a drunken soldier to gain entry to Dr. Bartolo’s home.  Messel used the same costume design for ten other soldiers in the opera.  The lemon yellow uniform with bright orange decoration provides a striking contrast to the predominantly dark costumes that feature elsewhere in the production.","physicalDescription":"A costume design for soldiers in <i>Il Barbiere di Siviglia</i>, 1954.  The costume was also worn by Count Almaviva.  The soldier is depicted in full length, wearing a black military jacket with yellow facings, yellow breeches with black braiding on the side seams, white spats and black boots. He wears a black hat with yellow plumes and holds a musket in his right hand..  On the right, a detail of the back of the costume.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"kaolinite","id":"AAT13815"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Charcoal, pencil, gouache, paint, watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BH6942"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES356274"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1954","earliest":"1954-01-01","latest":"1954-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"37.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"25.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'Oliver Messel'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Artist's signature in pencil on the bottom right-hand corner on the front of the sheet"},{"content":"'Soldiers'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Pencil inscription on the top left-hand corner on the front of the sheet."}],"objectHistory":"<i>Il Barbiere di Siviglia</i> (<i>The Barber of Seville</i>), an opera (1816) in two acts, was composed by Rossini with  libretto by Sterbini after Beaumarchais’s comedy of the same name (1775).  Oliver Messel’s production was first performed by the Glyndebourne Festival Opera at Glyndebourne on 10 June, 1954; directed by Carl Ebert, featuring Bruscantini as Figaro and Graziella Sciutti as Rosina.  It was revived at the Edinburgh Festival in 1955 and at Glyndebourne in 1961.  Roger Pinkham has said of this production that “Messel chose a palette which echoed the contrasted and thus dramatic coloration of Goya’s paintings.” (Pinkham, ed., 1983).\r\nLord 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.\n\nHistorical significance: Messel worked for Glyndebourne from 1951 to 1959, when he was at the height of his popularity as a designer for the stage.  His work for Glyndebourne in this period is regarded as some of his best designs.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Oliver Messel for Soldiers in Rossini's <i>Il Barbiere di Siviglia</i> (<i>The Barber of Seville</i>), Glyndebourne 1954.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Pinkham, Roger (ed.) <i>Oliver Messel</i>, London, V&A, 1983","id":"AUTH353280"},"details":"","free":""}],"production":"Reason For Production: Commission","productionType":{"text":"Design","id":"THES48872"},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["S.38-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"38","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 219"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-05-08","availableToBook":true}}