{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O125050"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O125050/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MD2519/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2019MD2519/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2019MD2519","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O125050/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O125050","accessionNumber":"S.116-2006","objectType":"Set design","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Great Britain’s leading theatre designer from the early 1930s to the mid 1950s, Oliver Messel (1904-1978) won international acclaim for his lavish, painterly and poetic designs informed by period styles.  His work spans ballet, drama, film, musical, opera and revue. Messel’s traditional style of theatre design became unfashionable from the mid 1950s onwards, and he increasingly concentrated on painting, interior and textile design, including designing luxury homes in the Caribbean.\r\n\r\nMozart’s opera <i>Idomeneo</i> (1781) outlines Idomeneo, the King of Crete’s attempts to escape from the consequences of a vow to the God Neptune.  Oliver Messel’s 1951 Glyndebourne production was the first time this opera was staged in England, and was revived in 1956.   Messel produced baroque style sets inspired by Italian18th-century artists and designers.  \r\n\r\nGiambattista Tiepolo’s (1696-1770) fresco paintings provided the inspiration for Messel’s baroque set which featured lively column and step ensembles seen from a range of perspectives, with a colonnade in the middle distance.  This flexible set allowed a large number of stage performers to move and group together according to the action.  His design includes a women’s figure to indicate the scale of the architecture in relation to the stage performers.","physicalDescription":"Set design by Oliver Messel for <i>Idomeneo</i>, 1951.   Watercolour design on board, featuring clusters of classical columns on the left and a colonnade on the right.  Steps at an angle leading up to the columns on the left.  A female figure stands under the columns on the left.  A cloth canopy frames the design.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Charcoal, pencil, gouache and watercolour on board","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2019MD2519"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356275"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"set design","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"London","id":"x28980"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1951","earliest":"1951-01-01","latest":"1951-12-31"},"association":{"text":"designed","id":"x29338"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"S.208-2006","id":"O126308"},"association":"Model"}],"creditLine":"Acquired with the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Art Fund and the Friends of the V&A","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"40","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"54.2","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 charcoal on the bottom right on the front of the board."},{"content":"'Idomeneo Glyndebourne'","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 reverse of the board."},{"content":"'PE 9312'","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 stamp on the reverse of the board."}],"objectHistory":"<i>Idomeneo</i> (1781), an opera in three acts by Mozart with libretto by Varesco.   Oliver Messel’s production was first performed at Glyndebourne by Glyndebourne Festival Opera on 15 June, 1951.  It was directed by Carl Ebert with choreography by Sigurd Leeder and featured Richard Lewis as Idomeneo and Sena Jurinac as Ilia.   This was the first time this production was staged in England.  It was revived in 1952, 1956, 1959 and 1964 at Glydenbourne; and in 1953 at the Edinburgh Festival. \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: At the height of his career, Messel produced theatre designs for Glyndebourne, 1951-1959.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Set design by Oliver Messel for Mozart's opera <i>Idomeneo</i>, Glyndebourne 1951.","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.116-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"116","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 1436"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-16","recordCreationDate":"2006-06-12","availableToBook":true}}