{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O125634"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O125634/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BK7595/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BK7595/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BK7595","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O125634/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O125634","accessionNumber":"S.168-2006","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>Le Nozze di Figaro</i> (<i>The Marriage of Figaro</i>) (1786)  was performed to celebrate the twenty-first anniversary of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera in 1955.  Critics praised Messel’s exuberant pastiche of 18th-century art and design ‘The décor by Oliver Messel was in his richest and most inventive vein, fully emphasising the unique blend of sharp satire and human understanding for the folly and unhappiness of the characters which Mozart so perfectly caught in his music’ (<i>The Tatler</i>, 22 June, 1955).  \r\n\r\nMessel’s costume for Susanna is a pastiche of 18th-century dress, a period which particularly inspired Messel, and was appropriate for Mozart’s period.  Carl Ebert (1887-1980), Glyndebourne’s artistic director from 1934-1959, endorsed Messel’s approach to theatre design.  The pair collaborated on a number of Glyndebourne productions during the 1950s.","physicalDescription":"A costume design by Oliver Messel for Susanna in a Glyndebourne production of Le Nozze di Figaro, 1955.  A full, frontal view of a woman in eighteenth century dress and black eye mask.  The dress is biege and trimmed in yellow and purple flowers.  She also wears a cloak.  She holds a fan or letter in her hand on the left.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Messel, Oliver Hilary Sambourne","id":"A4929"},"association":{"text":"designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"paper","id":"x30308"},{"text":"charcoal","id":"AAT12862"},{"text":"pencil","id":"x30347"},{"text":"watercolour","id":"x33202"},{"text":"gouache","id":"AAT70114"},{"text":"paint","id":"AAT15029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing (image-making)","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"painting (image-making)","id":"AAT54216"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Charcoal, pencil, gouache, paint and watercolour on paper","categories":[{"text":"Entertainment & Leisure","id":"THES48959"},{"text":"Designs","id":"THES48968"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&P","id":"THES48602"},"images":["2006BK7595"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"007","id":"THES356285"},"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":"1955","earliest":"1955-01-01","latest":"1955-12-31"},"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":"38","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":"'Susanna'","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 right hand corner on the front of the sheet."},{"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."}],"objectHistory":"<i>Le Nozze di Figaro</i> (<i>The Marriage of Figaro</i>) (1786), an opera in four acts by Mozart with libretto by da Ponte, from Beaumarchais’ <i>La folle journée, ou, Le Marriage de Figaro</i> (1778).   Oliver Messel’s production was first performed by the Glyndebourne Festival Opera at Glyndebourne on 8 June, 1955.   It was directed by Carl Ebert and featured Bruscantini as Figaro and Elena Rizzieri as Susanna.  It was revived at Glyndebourne in 1956, 1958, 1962, 1963 and 1965.   \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 designed costumes and sets for operas at Glyndebourne, 1951-1959.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Costume design by Oliver Messel for Susanna in Mozart's opera <i>Le Nozze di Figaro</i>  (<i>The Marriage of Figaro</i>), Glyndebourne 1955.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Pinkham, Roger (ed.) <i>Oliver Messel</i>, London, V&A, 1983","id":"AUTH353280"},"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.168-2006"],"accessionNumberNum":"168","accessionNumberPrefix":"S","accessionYear":2006,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"TM Rotation Number","id":"THES50368"},"number":"ROT 2137"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-05-08","recordCreationDate":"2006-07-03","availableToBook":true}}