{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O123758"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O123758/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6971/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BH6971/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BH6971","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O123758/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O123758","accessionNumber":"S.39-2006","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\nBertha is the old housekeeper of Doctor Bartolo, a soprano character role.   Messel’s portrait sketch and notes provide detailed information about her makeup.  With ‘apologies for no concession to beauty’ Messel specifies a blacked out patch of teeth, heavy and surprised eyebrows, no eyelashes, and greasy, unkempt hair framing a ‘pasty white greasy face with heavy shadows’.","physicalDescription":"A portrait sketch for Bertha in <i>Il Barbiere di Siviglia</i>, 1954.  Head and shoulders sketch in charcoal and in, showing an old woman with raised eyebrows, a surprised expression and heavy shadows.  The sketch is surrounded by Messel's notes indicating details of the makeup, including eyebrows, cheeks, chin, nose and teeth.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Charcoal and ink on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BH6971"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"008","id":"THES356274"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"costume design","id":"AAT163423"}],[{"text":"figures (representations)","id":"AAT189808"}]],"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 ink on the bottom right-hand corner on the front of the sheet"},{"content":"'Bertha'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Ink inscription on the top of the front of the sheet."},{"content":"'Black out a whole patch [crossed out word] of teeth / apologies for no concession to beauty as to [indecipherable] in the part has to be for character / heavy suprised eybbrows [sic] / pasty white / greasy face / with heavy / shadows / no eyelashes / shading above / and across/ cheeks. / weak c... / chin line / Hair once curly but pulled into black very greasy stragles / looking almost wet.'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"Ink inscriptions 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":"Portrait sketch by Oliver Messel for Bertha in Rossini's <i>Il Barbiere di Siviglia</i> (<i>The Barber of Seville</i>), Glyndebourne 1954.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Pinkham, Roger (ed.) <u>Oliver Messel: an exhibition held at the Theatre Museum, Victoria and Albert Museum, 22 June - 30 September 1983.</u> \r\nLondon: Victoria and Albert Museum, 1983.  200p., ill\r\nISBN 0905209508)"}],"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.39-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"39","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 232"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-05-08","availableToBook":true}}