{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O125067"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O125067/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BL9921/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2007BL9921/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2007BL9921","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O125067/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O125067","accessionNumber":"S.123-2006","objectType":"Costume 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 Italian 18th-century artists and designers.\r\n\r\nMessel’s portrait sketch of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea,  emphasises the frightening and violent manner in which he appears to Idomeneo, with a grim expression on his face and hair standing on end.  The portrait is surrounded by splashes of blue ink, perhaps intended to evoke a shower of sea spray.","physicalDescription":"A design by Oliver Messel for Neptune in a Glyndebourne production of <i>Idomeneo</i>, 1951, showing  Neptune's head. He has a grim expression and wide, staring eyes. Watercolour paint is splattered over the design to suggest water.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"ink","id":"AAT15012"},{"text":"kaolinite","id":"AAT13815"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"}],"techniques":[{"text":"painting (image making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Charcoal, ink, pencil, gouache, watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2007BL9921"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"009","id":"THES356275"},"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":"1951","earliest":"1951-01-01","latest":"1951-12-31"},"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":"37.7","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"25.2","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 pencil on the bottom right hand corner on the front of the sheet."},{"content":"'Neptune'","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 right hand corner on the front of the sheet."}],"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 created theatre designs for Glyndebourne, 1951-1959.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Design by Oliver Messel for Neptune in 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.123-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"123","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 1498"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-06-12","availableToBook":true}}